On this day - 22 June
WHUFC.com
A West Ham United player helped Mexico take a step towards their
continential title two years ago
22.06.2014
Anniversary
Mexico 2-0 Honduras
CONCACAF Gold Cup Semi-Finals
22 June 2011
Former Hammers winger Pablo Barrera won his 14th cap for Mexico on this day
three years ago and helped his country earn a place in the final of the
CONCACAF Gold Cup. The continental competition for North and Central
American sides had seen the Mexicans ease through the group stage with 5-0
wins over El Salvador and Cuba and a 4-1 victory over Costa Rica. A 2-1
quarter-final success over Guatemala was next before Honduras, who defeated
Costa Rica on penalties in their last-eight clash, were waiting in the
semis. Barrera started the contest, which remained at 0-0 after 90 minutes.
But two goals in the first nine minutes of extra-time, one from Aldo de
Nigris and the other from Javier Hernandez, won the game for Mexico. Barrera
would also play in the final, where his two goals helped Mexico see off
hosts USA to claim their sixth Gold Cup title.
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Reidy relishing return home
WHUFC.com
Winston Reid is looking forward to showing his West Ham United around his
home country of New Zealand
21.06.2014
Winston Reid is looking forward to showing his West Ham United around his
home country of New Zealand this summer. The Hammers travel to Reid's
homeland for the Football United Tour in July, spending eight days in the
country, during which they will face Wellington Phoenix at Eden Park,
Auckland on Wednesday 23 July and Sydney FC at Westpac Stadium in Wellington
on Saturday 26 July*. The New Zealand national team captain is naturally
excited to be heading to the southwestern Pacific Ocean nation with his
club-mates and is looking forward to putting on a show for his fellow
countrymen. "The plane is going to be a little more crowded than it usually
is!" said the centre-back, who was born in the Auckland suburb of North
Shore and played junior football for Milford School and local club Takapuna
AFC. "First and foremost, it's going to be good for the public down there to
see a couple of good quality teams, while I think it will be good for our
squad as well to get out of our normal environment. We're travelling a
little bit further abroad than usual and it will be good for the lads to see
a country they would perhaps never go to otherwise. "It is a long, long way
away on a plane, but when the players get there they will enjoy themselves."
West Ham's clash with A-League side Wellington Phoenix will take place in
Reid's native city of Auckland, with the match being played at Eden Park -
New Zealand's largest stadium with a capacity of 50,000. It will then be
onto the 34,500-capacity Westpac Stadium in Wellington, where Reid appeared
for the All Whites in an international friendly with Paraguay in 2010, and a
meeting with A-League challengers Sydney FC.
For Reid, the prospect of pulling on his Claret and Blue shirt in such
familiar surroundings is one to be relished. With excitement growing in New
Zealand ahead of the Hammers' visit, the No2 has encouraged his fellow
Kiwis to turn out in their thousands to watch the Hammers in action. "New
Zealand is a sporting nation. They like their sport down there so I am sure,
if things are done correctly, we will get a good crowd down there and
hopefully we will put on a good show when we get there. "I think the most
important thing is that it is our pre-season, so we will just have to get
our work done. We know we will be working hard down there and doing our best
to get fit and ready for the new season."
While pre-season training and matches will of course take up the vast
majority of the Hammers' time and energy while they are in New Zealand, Reid
is hoping to be able to show his team-mates - and West Ham supporters - the
sights and sounds of one of the world's most-beautiful countries. So, what
will Reid be encouraging them to do during their visit? "That's a good
question! If you are travelling that far abroad, I think you've got to see
some different things. The nature there is really nice and there are lots of
activities and sports which you can do outside. "In general the public are
very friendly so, all in all, if you are going down there then bring a
smile, I guess!"
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Potts eyes first team action
WHUFC.com
Dan Potts wants to follow in the footsteps of the Hammers' Academy graduates
this season
21.06.2014
Dan Potts has his eyes on more first team action in 2014/15 after putting
pen-to-paper on a new deal with the Club. The 20-year-old defender has made
12 first team appearances for the Hammers since making his debut in 2011,
but now sees this as his time to push on. With Mark Noble and James Tomkins
firmly established in the first team, Potts has the perfect examples to
follow and he says their experience is a vital tool for him to use. "I
definitely take inspiration from those players who have come through the
ranks to become established in the first team," he explained. "Nobes and
Tonks especially proved last year how good they are. "They've done it,
they've come through the Academy and are regular Premier League players.
Last year they were two of our best players and you can only be inspired by
that. "We've got an experienced bunch of players and when you're around them
you pick up little things - as a young player you can only learn, get better
and grow as a player."
Potts made just two senior appearances in claret and blue last season, but
turned out on six occasions during a loan spell at Portsmouth - a spell that
he says helped him learn about the rigours of first team football. He added:
"I want to be pushing on and playing first team football this season, so
hopefully I can and hopefully I will. "When I went on loan to Portsmouth
last year, I definitely reaped the benefits from playing in front of crowds,
in a first team environment with older players. "It benefitted me as a
player and more first team football is definitely the aim."
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WILL THE HAMMERS SIGN MARCO PAROLO AND ARE SCHALKE INTERESTED IN WINSTON
REID?
By S J Chandos 21 Jun 2014 at 17:00
West Ham Till I Die
Various Italian media outlets have recently reported that West Ham have
joined the race to sign Parma midfielder Marco Parolo. The 29-year-old
Italian is presently with the national team at the World Cup Finals and that
inevitably means any transfer move cannot be progressed until his return
from Brazil. Parma initially set an asking price of c.£7m, but may attempt
to generate an auction if interest increases as a result of his World Cup
performances. The Hammers are looking to steal a march on Lazio, who are
reportedly unwilling to meet Parma's likely current transfer valuation.
Parolo made 36 appearances in Serie A last season and WHTID readers may have
noticed that he made a second half substitutes appearance in the England Vs
Italy match last Saturday.
It is hardly a surprise that West Ham are seeking to strengthen central
midfield with the recent exit of Jole Cole, Jack Collison and Matt Taylor;
plus the continuing uncertainty over the futures of Ravel Morrison and Mo
Diame. Will this be a good potential signing? Well, he has a pedigree, but
as we saw last season, with Antonio Nocerino, not all players easily make
the transition from Serie A to Premier League. If there is serious West Ham
interest then we need to hope that he does not perform too well for Italy at
the World Cup or the asking price could rise steeply.
Elsewhere, there have been one or two recent reports that German club,
Schalke, may be lining up a bid for Winston Reid. Apparently, they are
looking to strengthen their central defence and have drawn up a list of
possible PL based signings. And they will be acutely aware that Reid is
entering the final year of his current contract and this could very well be
reflected in the asking price for his services. Whether they will meet
Reid's reported wage demands of c.£75,000 a week is another matter.
It would be good to see the club move swiftly to seal new deals for Winston
Reid and Ravel Morrison. Both players can play key roles in moving West Ham
forward over the next few seasons. Reid is a bulwark in central defence and
Morrison has all the skills/technique necessary to develop in to a top
quality attacking midfielder. I would also welcome a new deal for Mo Diame,
if he buckles down and commits to the project at West Ham. Unfortunately,
Diame is also entering the final year of his current deal and, in those
specific circumstances, it is virtually guaranteed that no one will invoke
the £3.5m release clause. Far more likely, the player will run down his
contract and this will result in a Bosman move next summer. If Diame does
not agree a new contract this pre-season, then that is arguably the most
likely scenerio.
SJ. Chandos.
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FORMER BOLTON AND REAL MADRID LEFT BACK IS TARGETED
By Sean Whetstone 21 Jun 2014 at 12:43
West Ham Till I Die
Former Bolton and Real Madrid defender Marcos Alonso wants to leave
Fiorentina to rejoin the premier league. West Ham are competing with Swansea
and Sunderland to sign him on a permanent deal. He is thought to have been
added to West Ham's ever expanding list of left back targets which include
Raphaël Guerreiro, Urby Emanuelson Martin Olssen and Timothee Kolodziejczak
A transfer fee of £1.5m doesn't seem to be the issue but his wage demands
might be. It was claimed he earned £40k per week at Bolton and is rumoured
to have received a pay rise in his move to Fiorentina.They loaned him out
last season to Sunderland and his demands are thought to be in excess of
£40k per week.
Born in Madrid, Alonso joined Real Madrid's youth academy at nine years old,
going on to appear for every youth side in the following years,
In 2009 Alonso was first summoned by the first team – coached by Manuel
Pellegrini – for a La Liga match at Valencia CF although he didn't play. His
debut arrived on in 2010 as he replaced Gonzalo Higuaín in the 90th minute
of the side's 2–0 away win against Racing de Santander. This was his only
and very brief appearance for Real Madrid first team. Alonso joined Bolton
Wanderers in 2010 for a fee around £2m. In May 2013, Alonso signed for
Italian side ACF Fiorentina on a three-year deal, despite being offered a
new contract by Bolton manager Dougie Freedman. In December 2013, after the
player had made nine official appearances for Fiorentina Sunderland
announced that he would join them on 1at January 2014, on loan until the end
of the season.Alonso played his first game with the Black Cats on 7th
January 2014, featuring the full 90 minutes in a 2–1 home win over
Manchester United for the League Cup semifinals' first leg and was given the
Man of the match award by Sky Sports
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West Ham plot transfer of Colombian Eder Balanta from River Plate
Jun 21, 2014 23:00 By Alan Nixon
The young defender is being watched by a number of European clubs after only
making his senior debut last year
The Mirror
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is chasing Colombian World Cup star Eder
Balanta, writes Alan Nixon in the Sunday People. Hammers have sent top spies
to Brazil to check out the 21-year-old defender ahead of a possible
£6million bid. Balanta, who plays in Argentina for River Plate, is tipped to
make a move to Europe after the tournament. And Hammers intend to be first
in the queue to land him. Balanta made his debut for Colombia as recently as
March and has only a handful of international caps so is still operating
largely under the radar of Premier League clubs. But West Ham have been on
his trail for some time and will try to do a deal once the South Americans
are out of the World Cup.
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Irons 50 players a day "nightmare"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 21, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham are being offered up to 50 players a day by agents looking to cash
in on the summer transfer window . The club has been linked with various
players almost every day since the summer window opened with agents aware
the club wants to bring in another three or four players. Co owner David
Sullivan has admitted that's the aim co owner David Gold told ClaretandHugh:
"It's a torturous time of the year. "We just want to get our business done
and close the door. It's never easy and every day we are wading through any
amount of player offers – sometimes as many as 50. It becomes a real
nightmare."
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Hammer-in-waiting Henry's six month hell
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 21, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Sunderland's decision to ensure that chief scout – and Hammers head of
Recruitment-in waiting, Tony Henry- serves out a six month notice period is
normal, understandable… but intensely irritating to all Hammers!
ClaretandHugh revealed yesterday that Henry would be unable to take up his
new Upton Park role until November after resigning from Sunderland. We can
understand that the long wait will be hell for Henry but he's a top face in
the game and it's well worth us all sweating it out! As is the case in any
competitive business where deals are being done and some are in the
pipeline, the firm – or in this case – club concerned has the right to
protect its interests under a six month notice period. Should the employee
resign as is the case here the club send the employee on to what is known
as 'gardening leave' where he or she does nothing whilst picking up full
pay for six months. Work cannot be carried out on behalf of any other club
and it would become pretty obvious if that were to happen anyway as club
bosses would know exactly what was being worked on at the point of the
employee's departure.' Henry will therefore be unable to 'deal' on behalf of
West Ham until November but will have a big start on the rest in the January
transfer window as he no doubt keeps a careful eye on things. He's a much
sought after individual and the Hammers have done well to get him.
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Meireles offered to the Irons
Claret & Hugh
ClaretandHugh understands that former Liverpool and Chelsea midfielder Raul
Merieles has been offered to West Ham. Currently at Fenerbache, the
Portuguese star, 31, who is with his national squad in Brazil, is available
at a knockdown three million euros. However, he is currently on around £2.5
million a year wages with Fenerbache which is likely to be too rich for the
Irons blood. ClaretandHugh was told exclusively : "The player has definitely
been put into the club but we expect the wages to be a problem even though
the fee is very cheap for a player of his quality." Merieles had an
impressive season at Anfield in 2010-11 and won the national Fans Player of
the Year before moving onto Chelsea where he picked up Premier and Champions
League winners medals.
However, he was again on the move after a season heading for Turkey and
Fenerbache where he has found plenty of trouble. He was was handed an
eleven-match ban by the Turkish Football Federation for spitting at a
referee. The alleged actions following accusations of homophobic remarks
after he received a second yellow card in the second half of a 2–1 away
defeat to rivals Galatasaray. A Hammers source explained to CandH: "His
wages would be very big and he also falls outside of the 'no over 27s' rule
put in place buy the board.
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Sunday, June 22
Saturday, June 21
Daily WHUFC News - 21st June 2014
Hammers line up Sampdoria date
WHUFC.com
West Ham United will host Italian Serie A side UC Sampdoria for the
Marathonbet Cup on Saturday 9 August
20.06.2014
West Ham United are pleased to announce that Italian giants UC Sampdoria
have been confirmed as the opposition for the first-ever Marathonbet Cup,
which will be held at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday 9 August at 3pm.
Four-time Italian Cup winners and 1991 Serie A champions, 'i Blucerchiati'
will provide the Hammers with their final pre-season test ahead of the
2014/15 Barclays Premier League campaign. Managed by former Yugoslavia
defender Siniša Mihajlović, Sampdoria finished 12th in Serie A last season
but will be hopeful of challenging for a European place next term. The
Genoa-based club possesses a cosmopolitan squad featuring the likes of Italy
striker Manolo Gabbiadini, Serbia midfielder Nenad Krstičić, Iceland
midfielder Birkir Bjarnason and Poland duo Bartosz Salamon and Paweł
Wszołek, while Mihajlović's team is captained by Daniele Gastaldello. Two
Sampdoria players have experience of English football - Germany
international defender Shkodran Mustafi spent two years with Everton as a
youngster, while Italian forward Stefano Okaka scored Fulham's winner in a
3-2 Premier League victory against West Ham at Craven Cottage in May 2010.
West Ham have met il Doria just once previously, but Hammers fans will be
hoping for better than the 6-1 Makita International Tournament defeat
suffered at Highbury in August 1991. That day, Renato Buso scored four times
and Toninho Cerezo and Attilio Lombardo once each for the Italians, with
George Parris netting the Hammers' consolation goal.
In all, Sampdoria won the Makita Tournament in three straight seasons
between 1990 and 1992, beating Arsenal in two finals before overcoming Leeds
United in the third. The Italian club will be visiting England for the first
time in seven years, with Alan Smith scoring Newcastle United's winner in a
1-0 victory at St James' Park in August 2007 during their last visit to the
country. The visit of Sampdoria completes a rich and varied pre-season
schedule for Sam Allardyce's squad, which includes fixtures against seven
teams from six different countries.
Tickets for this game will be priced at £15 for adult Season Ticket Holders
and £5 for Under-16s with a Season Ticket. Non-Season Ticket Holders can buy
their tickets in advance at £20 for adults and £10 Under-16s. Matchday
prices rise by £5 in both categories. Season Ticket Holders can buy their
tickets now by clicking here.
Pre-season fixtures 2014/15
Sat 12 July v Stevenage (Lamex Stadium, 3pm)
Wed 16 July v Ipswich Town (Portman Road, 7.45pm)
Wed 23 July v Wellington Phoenix (Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand, 7.45pm
local time)
Sat 26 July v Sydney FC (Westpac Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand, 2pm local
time)
Sat 2 Aug v Schalke 04 (Schalke 04 Cup, Veltins Arena, Gelsenkirchen,
Germany, 5.30pm local time)
Sun 3 Aug v Malaga (Schalke 04 Cup, Veltins Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany,
3.30pm local time)
Sat 9 Aug Marathonbet Cup v UC Sampdoria (Boleyn Ground, 3pm)
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Adrian can't wait for season opener
WHUFC.com
Hammers goalkeeper Adrian is already looking ahead to the game with Spurs on
16 August
19.06.2014
West Ham United's signing of the season from 2013/14, goalkeeper Adrian,
cannot wait to get his second campaign as a Hammer underway. The Spaniard
could not have asked for a better debut season in E13, first arriving as
understudy to Jussi Jaaskelainen before dislodging him from between the
posts, then going on to claim a hat-trick of awards at the end-of-season
gala dinner. He is looking forward rather than back, however, and wants to
claim a fourth victory of his still embryonic Hammers career when the north
Londoners visit the Boleyn Ground on the opening day of the new season. "I
am looking forward to what will be my second season at West Ham," he said.
"We will be looking to work hard to have a strong season and will be trying
to do our best from the start, against Tottenham in the first game at home.
"It is a busy start to the season for us, but we will take each game and try
to do our best in each one and hopefully as our fans will see, the team will
be working hard for each other to get good results. "For myself, I have
adapted and knowing the game here now more, I will be looking to add to my
game and I am sure with any new arrivals to our team, this will make us
stronger. "We will be looking forward to having our fans behind us again at
the Boleyn Ground in what will be a great atmosphere for the first match -
their support helps us, everyone is behind us to try and get the right
result in the match and I can't wait for it to begin."
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On this day - 21 June
Ex-Hammers forward Stuart Pearson turns 64 today
WHUFC.com
21.06.2014
Anniversary
Name: Stuart Pearson
Born: Cottingham, 21 June 1949
Clubs: Hull City, Manchester United, West Ham United
International: England - 15 caps, five goals
Former England international and West Ham United forward Stuart Pearson was
born on this day 65 years ago. A skilful forward who played in three FA Cup
finals - two for Manchester United and one for the Hammers - he started his
career in his home county of Yorkshire with Hull City. After 44 goals in 129
league games, Manchester United signed him for a £200,000 fee in 1974 and he
was instrumental in getting them promoted back to the top flight, notching
17 times in his first season. He was in the Red Devils side that lost the
1976 FA Cup final to Southampton, but helped them make up for it the
following year when they beat Liverpool 2-1 at Wembley. Pearson moved on to
the Hammers in 1979 and his cross-shot set up Trevor Brooking's winning goal
in the 1980 FA Cup final victory over Arsenal. He notched six goals in 34
league appearances for West Ham before being forced to retire in 1982 due to
a knee injury.
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West Ham boss Sam Allardyce hoping for big start from Andy Carroll
Last Updated: 20/06/14 2:19pm
SSN
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is hoping Andy Carroll's heartache of missing
out on the World Cup finals will help him begin next season in style.
Carroll failed to make the final 23 for England's squad, only being placed
on standby after an injury-plagued season which limited him to just 12
league starts. Allardyce, though, is looking for Carroll to use his summer
off to help him be in peak condition for the new season. "It will have hurt
Andy not being out in Brazil," he said.
"And if he has any burning ambition - both at club level and internationally
to get to the European Championship in 2016 - he'll use this experience to
go forwards. "What he needs to do now is to establish himself as a
high-quality Premier League striker and to give me 30-plus games and 12-15
goals minimum next season. "There is a place for him in the England squad.
There is no other player like him. "He's compared to Rickie Lambert but
they're not the same. Rickie drops off, out of the box, and goes deep. "Andy
is a threat in and around the penalty area with his head and his feet as he
has good technique. "The other thing Andy has in his favour is his
relatively young age."
Allardyce is looking for Carroll to stay injury free. "For both the seasons
we have had Andy, it has not been fantastic and he needs to change that," he
continued. "He got the injury and then we had the misdiagnosis on it and
that meant a long spell out. "When he first came we saw the best of him with
a good run of goals in the last few matches. Now we want that consistently."
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IS ENNER VALENCIA A BETTER TRANSFER BET AND COULD GLEN HODDLE BE RIGHT ON
ENGLAND?
By S J Chandos 21 Jun 2014 at 08:00
West Ham Till I Die
There has been a lot of recent conjecture linking West Ham with a £5m bid
for Ecuadorian wide man, Jefferson Montero. From the Ecuadorian group
matches, Montero has looked pacy and direct, but is he the quality prospect
that we have been led to believe? The club need to carefully consider
whether it is the right deal and the best use of our resources. The last
thing we need is a another Pablo Berrera type of mistake! So far, Montero is
not the outstanding player for his nation. That accolade rests with Enner
Valencia, a useful striker/attacking midfielder, who can also play wide if
required. He has scored three goals in these Finals, to date, and (as of 20
June 2014) seven in 12 international appearances. At club level, Valencia
presently plays for Pachuca in the Liga MX, for whom he has scored 18 goals
in 23 appearances. Overall, his career statistics are 45 goals in 147 league
appearances, figures that, at 25 years of age, he can be expected to improve
upon as he approaches his peak playing years.
Anyone watching yesterday evening's Ecuador Vs Honduras World Cup fixture
will have seen both Jefferson Montero and Enner Valencia perform in their
2-1 win. Which of the two do WHTID readers feel looked the better prospect?
I know that neither are the strongest international teams at these Finals,
but it might be instructive to remember the gems that Wigan have uncovered,
in recent years, from these type of nations. Perhaps there is a seam of
quality to be mined there? Or is the verdict that neither player is ideally
equipped for the Premier League?
Glen Hoddle gave an interesting interview on ITV yesterday evening. In it he
suggested that this tournament should not necessarily see the end of Gerrard
and Lampard's England careers. He even suggested that he would have taken
John Terry to these Finals! Is he right? Personally, I think that we have
done the correct thing by taking and playing the young players. Yes, the
results have been disappointing, but they have also been harsh. England were
very competitive in both matches and, hopefully, there will be a legacy in
terms the top-level experience that our young team have received. And that
will stand us in good stead for the future. Having started down that road,
we must now continue. That means sticking with the youth policy and seeing
it through to Euro-2016 and beyond. Yes, we need experience in the squad to
assist the youngsters and that could possibly mean an international
extension for Gerrard and one or two others. However, Lampard's
international career is now surely over and there is unlikely to be a way
back for Terry. Do WHTID readers agree?
It is interesting that Sir Trevor Brooking certainly appears to be taking
the long-term view in the aftermath of England's exit from Brazil 2014. He
feels that by developing the youngsters in this squad, and bringing others
(in the pipeline) through in the next 2-4 of years, England can make serious
challenges at both Euro 2016 and Russia 2018. In fact, this has been Sir
Trevor's view for some considerable time. I well recall him being quoted a
couple of years ago stating that Brazil 2014 might prove difficult for
England, but recent changes and hard work should start to bear fruit
thereafter. Lets hope he is right! Certainly if that is how events unfold,
then Sir Trevor will deserve great credit for the hard fought battles that
he has fought, over a number of years, to reform key aspects of the English
game, including those at grass root level.
Finally, if Roy Hodgson is to remain England Manager up to Euro-2016 (which
arguably he should), then how about him looking beyond the usual top clubs,
plus Southampton and giving some other players a chance. In West Ham terms,
Carroll should force his way back in to England contention, surely Tomkins
and Noble must be given a chance and (if he realises his potential) then
Ravel Morrison is an obvious future international. Because has we all klnow
(and this tournament has confirmed it once again) England need at least
three Hammers in the squad to win a World Cup! A partisan point of view I
know, but one clearly supported by the facts.
SJ. Chandos.
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THE WAITING GAME
By Sean Whetstone 20 Jun 2014 at 19:22
West Ham Till I Die
West Ham's new director of recruitment in waiting Tony Henry will not
feature in this transfer window while he tends to his garden.
Henry is on 'gardening leave' from Sunderland under the terms of a contract
clause which states he must serve out a six month notice period.
West Ham had hoped to have him installed in time to take an active role in
the summer transfer market but the terms of his contract will prohibit him
from doing so.
The point of these types of clauses is to prevent competitors from getting
an advantage. This our case I assume Sunderland want to preserve recent
scouting missions or deals Henry may of recently completed or setup for the
Black cats in advance of this transfer window.
background
Henry was formally a professional footballer in the seventies and eighties
playing in the midfield or as a full back for the likes of Manchester City,
Bolton Wanderers, Oldham Altletic and Stoke City. He hung up his football
boots after 441 appearances and 71 goals in 1992 after short spells in Japan
& Wales.
After finishing playing the beautiful game Henry became both a scout and
agent working for the Formation Group founded by Paul Stretford. During his
time at Formation he came into contact with agent Jorde Mendes who he helped
bring Portuguese players to the Premier League.
Henry later gave evidence in a court case with Super Agent Mendes "I gave
two and a half years of my life to Mendes," said Henry "I worked non-stop,
introducing him to people, trying to get his players into clubs. We shared
our fees honourably, but then once he knew people, and got Mourinho into
Chelsea, he went on his own."
Henry went to become chief scout for Chelsea before joining Everton in the
same role before moving to Sunderland in March this year as head of British
scouting under Steve Houston. He resigned in May after agreeing to join West
Ham meaning he will be free to join us in November.
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Udinese buy Armero from Napoli
By Football Italia staff
Udinese have bought Colombia international Pablo Armero outright from
Napoli. The player had been co-owned between the sides, even though he spent
this season on loan at West Ham. Udinese released a statement announcing
they have agreed to buy the remaining 50 per cent of Armero's contract from
Napoli.
However, a deal was not reached between Udinese and Torino for the future of
striker Paulo Vitor Barreto. Udinese will therefore go into a blind auction
for Barreto, where both clubs place a bid in a sealed envelope and the
highest figure wins the remaining half of his contract. There is a similar
situation between Udinese and Modena for Andrea Mazzarani.
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WHUFC.com
West Ham United will host Italian Serie A side UC Sampdoria for the
Marathonbet Cup on Saturday 9 August
20.06.2014
West Ham United are pleased to announce that Italian giants UC Sampdoria
have been confirmed as the opposition for the first-ever Marathonbet Cup,
which will be held at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday 9 August at 3pm.
Four-time Italian Cup winners and 1991 Serie A champions, 'i Blucerchiati'
will provide the Hammers with their final pre-season test ahead of the
2014/15 Barclays Premier League campaign. Managed by former Yugoslavia
defender Siniša Mihajlović, Sampdoria finished 12th in Serie A last season
but will be hopeful of challenging for a European place next term. The
Genoa-based club possesses a cosmopolitan squad featuring the likes of Italy
striker Manolo Gabbiadini, Serbia midfielder Nenad Krstičić, Iceland
midfielder Birkir Bjarnason and Poland duo Bartosz Salamon and Paweł
Wszołek, while Mihajlović's team is captained by Daniele Gastaldello. Two
Sampdoria players have experience of English football - Germany
international defender Shkodran Mustafi spent two years with Everton as a
youngster, while Italian forward Stefano Okaka scored Fulham's winner in a
3-2 Premier League victory against West Ham at Craven Cottage in May 2010.
West Ham have met il Doria just once previously, but Hammers fans will be
hoping for better than the 6-1 Makita International Tournament defeat
suffered at Highbury in August 1991. That day, Renato Buso scored four times
and Toninho Cerezo and Attilio Lombardo once each for the Italians, with
George Parris netting the Hammers' consolation goal.
In all, Sampdoria won the Makita Tournament in three straight seasons
between 1990 and 1992, beating Arsenal in two finals before overcoming Leeds
United in the third. The Italian club will be visiting England for the first
time in seven years, with Alan Smith scoring Newcastle United's winner in a
1-0 victory at St James' Park in August 2007 during their last visit to the
country. The visit of Sampdoria completes a rich and varied pre-season
schedule for Sam Allardyce's squad, which includes fixtures against seven
teams from six different countries.
Tickets for this game will be priced at £15 for adult Season Ticket Holders
and £5 for Under-16s with a Season Ticket. Non-Season Ticket Holders can buy
their tickets in advance at £20 for adults and £10 Under-16s. Matchday
prices rise by £5 in both categories. Season Ticket Holders can buy their
tickets now by clicking here.
Pre-season fixtures 2014/15
Sat 12 July v Stevenage (Lamex Stadium, 3pm)
Wed 16 July v Ipswich Town (Portman Road, 7.45pm)
Wed 23 July v Wellington Phoenix (Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand, 7.45pm
local time)
Sat 26 July v Sydney FC (Westpac Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand, 2pm local
time)
Sat 2 Aug v Schalke 04 (Schalke 04 Cup, Veltins Arena, Gelsenkirchen,
Germany, 5.30pm local time)
Sun 3 Aug v Malaga (Schalke 04 Cup, Veltins Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany,
3.30pm local time)
Sat 9 Aug Marathonbet Cup v UC Sampdoria (Boleyn Ground, 3pm)
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Adrian can't wait for season opener
WHUFC.com
Hammers goalkeeper Adrian is already looking ahead to the game with Spurs on
16 August
19.06.2014
West Ham United's signing of the season from 2013/14, goalkeeper Adrian,
cannot wait to get his second campaign as a Hammer underway. The Spaniard
could not have asked for a better debut season in E13, first arriving as
understudy to Jussi Jaaskelainen before dislodging him from between the
posts, then going on to claim a hat-trick of awards at the end-of-season
gala dinner. He is looking forward rather than back, however, and wants to
claim a fourth victory of his still embryonic Hammers career when the north
Londoners visit the Boleyn Ground on the opening day of the new season. "I
am looking forward to what will be my second season at West Ham," he said.
"We will be looking to work hard to have a strong season and will be trying
to do our best from the start, against Tottenham in the first game at home.
"It is a busy start to the season for us, but we will take each game and try
to do our best in each one and hopefully as our fans will see, the team will
be working hard for each other to get good results. "For myself, I have
adapted and knowing the game here now more, I will be looking to add to my
game and I am sure with any new arrivals to our team, this will make us
stronger. "We will be looking forward to having our fans behind us again at
the Boleyn Ground in what will be a great atmosphere for the first match -
their support helps us, everyone is behind us to try and get the right
result in the match and I can't wait for it to begin."
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On this day - 21 June
Ex-Hammers forward Stuart Pearson turns 64 today
WHUFC.com
21.06.2014
Anniversary
Name: Stuart Pearson
Born: Cottingham, 21 June 1949
Clubs: Hull City, Manchester United, West Ham United
International: England - 15 caps, five goals
Former England international and West Ham United forward Stuart Pearson was
born on this day 65 years ago. A skilful forward who played in three FA Cup
finals - two for Manchester United and one for the Hammers - he started his
career in his home county of Yorkshire with Hull City. After 44 goals in 129
league games, Manchester United signed him for a £200,000 fee in 1974 and he
was instrumental in getting them promoted back to the top flight, notching
17 times in his first season. He was in the Red Devils side that lost the
1976 FA Cup final to Southampton, but helped them make up for it the
following year when they beat Liverpool 2-1 at Wembley. Pearson moved on to
the Hammers in 1979 and his cross-shot set up Trevor Brooking's winning goal
in the 1980 FA Cup final victory over Arsenal. He notched six goals in 34
league appearances for West Ham before being forced to retire in 1982 due to
a knee injury.
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West Ham boss Sam Allardyce hoping for big start from Andy Carroll
Last Updated: 20/06/14 2:19pm
SSN
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is hoping Andy Carroll's heartache of missing
out on the World Cup finals will help him begin next season in style.
Carroll failed to make the final 23 for England's squad, only being placed
on standby after an injury-plagued season which limited him to just 12
league starts. Allardyce, though, is looking for Carroll to use his summer
off to help him be in peak condition for the new season. "It will have hurt
Andy not being out in Brazil," he said.
"And if he has any burning ambition - both at club level and internationally
to get to the European Championship in 2016 - he'll use this experience to
go forwards. "What he needs to do now is to establish himself as a
high-quality Premier League striker and to give me 30-plus games and 12-15
goals minimum next season. "There is a place for him in the England squad.
There is no other player like him. "He's compared to Rickie Lambert but
they're not the same. Rickie drops off, out of the box, and goes deep. "Andy
is a threat in and around the penalty area with his head and his feet as he
has good technique. "The other thing Andy has in his favour is his
relatively young age."
Allardyce is looking for Carroll to stay injury free. "For both the seasons
we have had Andy, it has not been fantastic and he needs to change that," he
continued. "He got the injury and then we had the misdiagnosis on it and
that meant a long spell out. "When he first came we saw the best of him with
a good run of goals in the last few matches. Now we want that consistently."
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IS ENNER VALENCIA A BETTER TRANSFER BET AND COULD GLEN HODDLE BE RIGHT ON
ENGLAND?
By S J Chandos 21 Jun 2014 at 08:00
West Ham Till I Die
There has been a lot of recent conjecture linking West Ham with a £5m bid
for Ecuadorian wide man, Jefferson Montero. From the Ecuadorian group
matches, Montero has looked pacy and direct, but is he the quality prospect
that we have been led to believe? The club need to carefully consider
whether it is the right deal and the best use of our resources. The last
thing we need is a another Pablo Berrera type of mistake! So far, Montero is
not the outstanding player for his nation. That accolade rests with Enner
Valencia, a useful striker/attacking midfielder, who can also play wide if
required. He has scored three goals in these Finals, to date, and (as of 20
June 2014) seven in 12 international appearances. At club level, Valencia
presently plays for Pachuca in the Liga MX, for whom he has scored 18 goals
in 23 appearances. Overall, his career statistics are 45 goals in 147 league
appearances, figures that, at 25 years of age, he can be expected to improve
upon as he approaches his peak playing years.
Anyone watching yesterday evening's Ecuador Vs Honduras World Cup fixture
will have seen both Jefferson Montero and Enner Valencia perform in their
2-1 win. Which of the two do WHTID readers feel looked the better prospect?
I know that neither are the strongest international teams at these Finals,
but it might be instructive to remember the gems that Wigan have uncovered,
in recent years, from these type of nations. Perhaps there is a seam of
quality to be mined there? Or is the verdict that neither player is ideally
equipped for the Premier League?
Glen Hoddle gave an interesting interview on ITV yesterday evening. In it he
suggested that this tournament should not necessarily see the end of Gerrard
and Lampard's England careers. He even suggested that he would have taken
John Terry to these Finals! Is he right? Personally, I think that we have
done the correct thing by taking and playing the young players. Yes, the
results have been disappointing, but they have also been harsh. England were
very competitive in both matches and, hopefully, there will be a legacy in
terms the top-level experience that our young team have received. And that
will stand us in good stead for the future. Having started down that road,
we must now continue. That means sticking with the youth policy and seeing
it through to Euro-2016 and beyond. Yes, we need experience in the squad to
assist the youngsters and that could possibly mean an international
extension for Gerrard and one or two others. However, Lampard's
international career is now surely over and there is unlikely to be a way
back for Terry. Do WHTID readers agree?
It is interesting that Sir Trevor Brooking certainly appears to be taking
the long-term view in the aftermath of England's exit from Brazil 2014. He
feels that by developing the youngsters in this squad, and bringing others
(in the pipeline) through in the next 2-4 of years, England can make serious
challenges at both Euro 2016 and Russia 2018. In fact, this has been Sir
Trevor's view for some considerable time. I well recall him being quoted a
couple of years ago stating that Brazil 2014 might prove difficult for
England, but recent changes and hard work should start to bear fruit
thereafter. Lets hope he is right! Certainly if that is how events unfold,
then Sir Trevor will deserve great credit for the hard fought battles that
he has fought, over a number of years, to reform key aspects of the English
game, including those at grass root level.
Finally, if Roy Hodgson is to remain England Manager up to Euro-2016 (which
arguably he should), then how about him looking beyond the usual top clubs,
plus Southampton and giving some other players a chance. In West Ham terms,
Carroll should force his way back in to England contention, surely Tomkins
and Noble must be given a chance and (if he realises his potential) then
Ravel Morrison is an obvious future international. Because has we all klnow
(and this tournament has confirmed it once again) England need at least
three Hammers in the squad to win a World Cup! A partisan point of view I
know, but one clearly supported by the facts.
SJ. Chandos.
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THE WAITING GAME
By Sean Whetstone 20 Jun 2014 at 19:22
West Ham Till I Die
West Ham's new director of recruitment in waiting Tony Henry will not
feature in this transfer window while he tends to his garden.
Henry is on 'gardening leave' from Sunderland under the terms of a contract
clause which states he must serve out a six month notice period.
West Ham had hoped to have him installed in time to take an active role in
the summer transfer market but the terms of his contract will prohibit him
from doing so.
The point of these types of clauses is to prevent competitors from getting
an advantage. This our case I assume Sunderland want to preserve recent
scouting missions or deals Henry may of recently completed or setup for the
Black cats in advance of this transfer window.
background
Henry was formally a professional footballer in the seventies and eighties
playing in the midfield or as a full back for the likes of Manchester City,
Bolton Wanderers, Oldham Altletic and Stoke City. He hung up his football
boots after 441 appearances and 71 goals in 1992 after short spells in Japan
& Wales.
After finishing playing the beautiful game Henry became both a scout and
agent working for the Formation Group founded by Paul Stretford. During his
time at Formation he came into contact with agent Jorde Mendes who he helped
bring Portuguese players to the Premier League.
Henry later gave evidence in a court case with Super Agent Mendes "I gave
two and a half years of my life to Mendes," said Henry "I worked non-stop,
introducing him to people, trying to get his players into clubs. We shared
our fees honourably, but then once he knew people, and got Mourinho into
Chelsea, he went on his own."
Henry went to become chief scout for Chelsea before joining Everton in the
same role before moving to Sunderland in March this year as head of British
scouting under Steve Houston. He resigned in May after agreeing to join West
Ham meaning he will be free to join us in November.
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Udinese buy Armero from Napoli
By Football Italia staff
Udinese have bought Colombia international Pablo Armero outright from
Napoli. The player had been co-owned between the sides, even though he spent
this season on loan at West Ham. Udinese released a statement announcing
they have agreed to buy the remaining 50 per cent of Armero's contract from
Napoli.
However, a deal was not reached between Udinese and Torino for the future of
striker Paulo Vitor Barreto. Udinese will therefore go into a blind auction
for Barreto, where both clubs place a bid in a sealed envelope and the
highest figure wins the remaining half of his contract. There is a similar
situation between Udinese and Modena for Andrea Mazzarani.
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Friday, June 20
Daily WHUFC News - 20th June 2014
Allardyce thrilled with Kouyate arrival
WHUFc.com
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce is delighted with his second signing
of the summer
19.06.2014
West Ham United boss Sam Allardyce is thrilled to have completed the signing
of Senegal international Cheikhou Kouyate. Kouyate possesses substantial
UEFA Champions League and Europa League experience from his spell at
previous club Anderlecht and Big Sam is looking forward to using that in his
team. Standing 6'4 tall, Kouyate is sure to add presence to the Hammers
midfield as they look for improvement all over the pitch in 2014/15.
Allardyce said: "We're delighted to have secured what has been one of our
top targets so early in the pre-season. Kouyate is a dynamic midfielder,
goes box to box and has excellent skills with both feet as well as being
strong in the air. "If needed, he can fill in at centre back but his
strength will be what he can do in midfield and creating the chances we need
to attack. "He is only 24, so a good age and he was insistent that West Ham
was his choice of club, Valencia and a few other top clubs were after him,
but he wanted to come here and I am looking forward to him having a bright
future here at West Ham. "The importance of getting a top target so early is
vital to that player being here for the start of pre-season, especially
coming from abroad. He can get to know his team-mates at the beginning and
integrate himself and bond with the rest of the team before the season
begins, we get to know what he is about and he gets to know about us. "It
has been a long pursuit, with the Joint-Chairmen, myself and Martyn [Glover]
to get him, but we have got him and we look forward to seeing him in a West
Ham shirt in the new season."
That new season begins with a mouthwatering home game against Tottenham
Hotspur and Big Sam cannot wait to face the north Londoners. "What a game to
start the new Barclays Premier League campaign with - I am sure our fans are
rubbing their hands with delight as it is the fixture they look out for
every season. "And after beating them three times last season, the pressure
is on to do it again and in the first game of the season as well, so we will
have to be ready and keep the results going against them! "It is a tough
start, there is a real mix of teams we are playing in the first seven games,
in terms of sides who you look at being at the top, the middle and two newly
promoted sides in Burnley and Queens Park Rangers. It is quite unusual to
have so many local derbies in the first set of games, after Tottenham, we go
to Crystal Palace and then QPR, so it's tough but as we know, every game is
tough in the Premier League."
West Ham will be giving their all to prepare as well as they can for the new
season and will be the first team back to pre-season when they report back
to Chadwell Heath on 3 July. He added: "The work to prepare for the new
season is already in full swing - getting new players into our squad like we
have secured already in Mauro Zarate and Cheikhou Kouyate plus the many
other targets we are pursuing and then pre-season training, where we will be
getting the players prepared to be 100 per cent ready to go out there and
get as many points as we can on board early on. "What you have to bear in
mind is securing as many points at the start of the season is the backbone
for the squad. Last year, we had a good pre-season and then didn't get as
many points on board early on as we would have wanted and suffered for that,
even though some performances weren't reflected in the results, compared to
the season before when we had a stronger start. "With the injuries that we
then suffered, it means those points caught up with you a bit and you
struggle, so we want to go out as strong as we can from the start to
establish that confidence and get those points to help us reach the targets
we want to achieve. "There will be a lot of activity between now and the
start with new signings and like other clubs, we would want to have all if
not nearly all our transfer business completed for the season to start, but
as we all know, it doesn't happen like that and there will still be
additions being made to squads until the close of the transfer window at the
end of August, so it is a case of working hard with everything we have got
and then blending in with what we can add."
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Dicks appointed Ladies manager
WHUFC.com
Julian Dicks has been appointed as West Ham United Ladies first-team manager
19.06.2014
Julian Dicks has been appointed as West Ham United Ladies first-team
manager. The former Hammers left-back became a legend in Claret and Blue
during two highly successful playing spells that saw him score 65 goals in
326 appearances. Following his retirement, Dicks managed Essex non-league
clubs Wivenhoe Town and Grays Athletic and has recently been coaching
youngsters alongside former West Ham team-mate Ian Bishop in the United
States. A long-time supporter of the women's game, the 45-year-old is
relishing the opportunity to pass on his experience to West Ham's Ladies,
who compete in the FA Women's Premier League Southern Division. "I'm an
ambitious person and I took the job because I want to improve as a manager,"
said Dicks. "I enjoyed my management when I was at Grays and Wivenhoe and,
luckily enough, West Ham Ladies have given me another chance and hopefully I
can do good things for them. "I'm looking forward to my new challenge in
football and I can't wait to get started "Ladies football is coming on
strong. I've just come back from the States, where I was coaching ladies
football, and the sport out in the States is massive and hopefully over here
it will be the same. "It's taking off but it's taking a little bit longer
than it is in America."
West Ham Ladies chairman Ray Wood said the appointment of Dicks had been
down to the hard work and imagination of captain Stacey Little, who
initially approached the new manager through social media. "Myself and
Stacey have been working on this for quite a long time and, now Julian's
appointment has been confirmed, it's going to be massive for us," said Wood.
"We have been in the same division for quite a long time and we need to push
on. We just need the opportunity to get our name out there and put a mark on
the league and, with Julian in charge, we hope we can do just that. "Julian
joining us raises the profile of the club massively. He has been coaching
ladies football in the US and his presence will make us stronger and help us
to attract more and better players. "We are hoping to go from strength to
strength."
Captain Little herself cannot wait to start work under the new manager. "We
were on the way to our final away game of last season at Portsmouth and we
were talking about who would be our new manager," said the skipper. "I said
I would like to ask Julian Dicks to do it, then I tweeted saying 'Retweet if
you think Julian Dicks should do it' and I got more than 100 retweets,
including Julian himself. "I spoke to Julian and he said he had other
coaching commitments, but that he would be interested. I was taken aback
that he'd even think about it. "Now, it's all been confirmed and I can't
stop smiling!"
Dicks' first job as Ladies manager will be to oversee trials for senior
players, which will be held at the Hammers' Chadwell Heath Training Ground
on Sunday 22 June between 12-2pm. Please contact Ladies secretary Bill
Robinson by email at billdotrobinson@yahoo.co.uk to register for the trials
or for further information. The sessions take place on astro turf or grass
so please bring the appropriate footwear.
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West Ham United at the World Cup - '90
WHUFC.com
West Ham United had just one representative at the 1990 FIFA World Cup
finals in Italy
19.06.2014
Languishing in the Second Division, it was little surprise that West Ham
United had only one representative at the 1990 FIFA World Cup finals in
Italy. But there was some astonishment at Upton Park when goalkeeper Ludek
Miklosko headed off home to meet up with the Czechoslovakian squad driving a
sponsored Nissan Bluebird every mile of the way in aid of the children's
charity Barnardo's. However, Miklosko's long drive was not rewarded with any
action at Italia '90, as qualified mechanic Jan Stejskal was picked between
the sticks. As the Hammers custodian looked on, his fellow future Queens
Park Rangers stopper help the Czechoslovakians advance to the
quarter-finals, before losing to eventual winners, West Germany. The West
Germans also put paid to the chances of an England squad containing future
Hammers Peter Shilton and Stuart Pearce, with both suffering during the
Three Lions' infamous penalty shootout defeat in the semi-finals. A Republic
of Ireland side fielding ex-Hammer Ray Houghton saw off a Romanian squad
boasting future West Ham players Ilie Dumitrescu and Florin Raducioiu in
their own second round penalty shootout, only to lose to hosts Italy in the
last-eight. Another future West Ham player, midfielder John Harkes
(pictured), had little to celebrate as the United States were beaten in all
three of their Group A fixtures, including a 5-1 thrashing by Miklosko's
Czechoslovakia in Florence in their opening match.
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West Ham Ladies: Julian Dicks appointed as new manager
BBC.co.uk
Former West Ham United defender Julian Dicks has been appointed manager of
the West Ham Ladies team. Dicks, 45, made 326 appearances for the Hammers
in two spells between 1988 and 1999, scoring 65 goals. Bristol-born Dicks
has previously managed Eastern Counties League side Wivenhoe Town and Grays
Athletic when they were in the Conference Premier. "Looking forward to my
new challenge in football and can't wait to get started," Dicks wrote on
Twitter. West Ham Ladies play in the FA Women's Premier League South and
finished 10th out of 11 sides last season under previous manager Mark
Saunders on. During his career Dicks also played for Liverpool, Birmingham
City and Canvey Island.
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Ex-Hammer calls it a day
KUMb.com
Filed: Thursday, 19th June 2014
By: Staff Writer
Former West Ham United striker Yaniv Katan has announced his retirement from
football at the age of 34. The former Israeli international decided to hang
up his boots after being told by Maccabi Haifa boss Aleksandar Stanojevic
that he was not being offered a place in first team squad next season. Katan
was Alan Pardew's first signing of the 2006 January transfer window - a
£100,000 bargain - but made just two starts (eight appearances in total) for
West Ham before returning to Maccabi, his only other professional club, for
a nominal fee just four months later. Said to be unhappy with life in
England, Katan - who made his debut in a 2-1 FA Cup third round win at
Norwich as an 81st-minute replacement for Bobby Zamora - returned to his
homeland having failed to score a single goal for the Hammers.
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A good start is essential
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 19th June 2014
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce insists it is vital that West Ham don't repeat their poor
start to the season when the new 2014/15 Premier League campaign begins
kicks off in August. Last year the Hammers were only saved from relegation
on the penultimate weekend of the season after a dreadful start to the
campaign saw Allardyce's side amass just 15 points from the opening 19 games
of the season. This year, having been granted another relatively gentle
opening to the season, Allardyce is hoping to hit the ground running, with
new signings Mauro Zarate and Cheikou Kouyate settling in and preparing for
a full pre-season with the Hammers - something that also applies to Andy
Carroll, who missed the entire pre-season programme last summer due to
injury. "The work to prepare for the new season is already in full swing,"
Big Sam told whufc.com. We have already secured Mauro Zarate and Cheikhou
Kouyate plus there are many other targets we are pursuing. "[In] pre-season
training we will be getting the players prepared to be 100 per cent ready to
go out there and get as many points as we can on board early on. Securing as
many points at the start of the season is the backbone for the squad. "Last
year, we had a good pre-season and then didn't get as many points on board
early on as we would have wanted and suffered for that, even though some
performances weren't reflected in the results, compared to the season before
when we had a stronger start. "With the injuries that we then suffered, it
means those points caught up with you a bit and you struggle, so we want to
go out as strong as we can from the start to establish that confidence and
get those points to help us reach the targets we want to achieve."
Despite having already landed two big names for his squad, Allardyce
maintains that he expects several more to follow before the season kicks off
on 16th August against Tottenham at the Boleyn Ground. "There will be a lot
of activity between now and the start with new signings and like other
clubs, we would want to have all if not nearly all our transfer business
completed for the season to start" he said. "But, as we all know, it doesn't
happen like that and there will still be additions being made to squads
until the close of the transfer window at the end of August. It is a case of
working hard with everything we have got and then blending in with what we
can add."
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Cheikhou-maker
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 19th June 2014
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce says he is delighted to have acquired the services of
defensive midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate. The Senegal international put pen to
paper on a four-year contract earlier this week and becomes Big Sam's second
signing of pre-seaon following the arrival of Argentinian forward Mauro
Zarate last month.
"We're delighted to have secured what has been one of our top targets so
early in the pre-season," Allardyce told whufc.com. "Kouyate goes box to box
and has excellent skills with both feet as well as being strong in the air.
If needed, he can also fill in at centre back. "He is only 24 and he was
insistent that West Ham was his choice of club. Valencia and a few other top
clubs were after him, but he wanted to come here and I am looking forward to
him having a bright future here."
Allardyce was especially pleased to have landed a second major signing so
early in the trasnfer window. "The importance of getting a top target so
early is vital to that player being here for the start of pre-season,
especially coming from abroad," he said. "He can get to know his team-mates
at the beginning and integrate himself and bond with the rest of the team
before the season begins, we get to know what he is about and he gets to
know about us. "It has been a long pursuit, with the Joint-Chairmen, myself
and Martyn [Glover] to get him, but we have got him and we look forward to
seeing him in a West Ham shirt in the new season."
Kouyate, who gave his first interview in French was equally delighted to be
at the West Ham - and insisted that Allardyce played a major part in his
decision to leave Anderlecht for the Premier League. "Sam went out of his
way, leaving his holiday for me, so he has done everything he could for me
to join the club," he revealed. "That I'm here now is thanks to the manager,
because he convinced me. "He, my advisers and agents helped me make the
right decision and said West Ham was the ideal club for me, because as a kid
I dreamed of playing in the Premier League and now it's here that my dream
has been realised."
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Julian Dicks makes West Ham return
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 19th June 2014
By: Staff Writer
Hammers legend Julian Dicks has returned to the club - as manager of West
Ham Ladies. The appointment was confirmed this morning in a short statement.
Dicks, 45, said: "This is an exciting time to be involved in the women's
game, I am very proud to be associated with the club again. "I believe
whilst this is an opportunity for me, but also the club, together we can
take the women's squad further. I have experienced first-hand of how far the
woman's game has evolved; women's football is growing very quickly here in
the UK. "Whilst things were finalised early this morning [Thursday], I have
already had a couple of conversations with first team Captain Stacey Little
and I am really looking forward to meeting the rest of the squad in the
familiar claret and blue."
Chairman Ray Wood was naturally delighted at the news. "Julian is an ideal
candidate for us," he said. "With the team winning a trophy last season and
having so many talented players within the side, we wanted the right
candidate who could take things forward. "Julian is an ideal match for our
ambition."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce delighted to land Cheikhou Kouyate
Last Updated: 19/06/14 11:20am
SSN
West Ham United boss Sam Allardyce says he is thrilled to have signed top
target Cheikhou Kouyate so early in the season. Kouyate, who joined West Ham
for an undisclosed fee from Anderlecht on a four-year deal, becomes the
club's second summer signing following the arrival of Argentine striker
Mauro Zarate.
Allardyce told the club's website: "We're delighted to have secured what has
been one of our top targets so early in the pre-season. Kouyate is a dynamic
midfielder, goes box to box and has excellent skills with both feet as well
as being strong in the air. "If needed, he can fill in at centre back but
his strength will be what he can do in midfield and creating the chances we
need to attack. "He is only 24, so a good age and he was insistent that West
Ham was his choice of club. Valencia and a few other top clubs were after
him, but he wanted to come here and I am looking forward to him having a
bright future here at West Ham.
"The importance of getting a top target so early is vital to that player
being here for the start of pre-season, especially coming from abroad. He
can get to know his team-mates at the beginning and integrate himself and
bond with the rest of the team before the season begins, we get to know what
he is about and he gets to know about us. "It has been a long pursuit, with
the joint chairmen, myself and Martyn Glover to get him, but we have got him
and we look forward to seeing him in a West Ham shirt in the new season."
"We're delighted to have secured what has been one of our top targets so
early in the pre-season. Kouyate is a dynamic midfielder, goes box to box
and has excellent skills with both feet as well as being strong in the air."
West Ham will kick off the new season with a home game against Tottenham and
Allardyce is looking forward to facing Mauricio Pochettino's side. He
added: "What a game to start the new Barclays Premier League campaign with -
I am sure our fans are rubbing their hands with delight as it is the fixture
they look out for every season. "And after beating them three times last
season, the pressure is on to do it again and in the first game of the
season as well, so we will have to be ready and keep the results going
against them! "It is a tough start, there is a real mix of teams we are
playing in the first seven games, in terms of sides who you look at being at
the top, the middle and two newly promoted sides in Burnley and Queens Park
Rangers. "It is quite unusual to have so many local derbies in the first
set of games, after Tottenham, we go to Crystal Palace and then QPR, so it's
tough but as we know, every game is tough in the Premier League."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham plot badge change to go with their move to the Olympic Stadium in
2016
Jun 19, 2014 17:36 By Darren Lewis
David Sullivan wants the Hammers' badge to include the word 'London' to make
them more marketable but says it is the fans' call
The Mirror
West Ham United are set to become West Ham London - but only on the club's
badge. In a bid to increase their worldwide appeal, the Hammers are
consulting with fans in the hope they will approve the move. The idea has
emerged two years before the east Londoners' proposed switch from their
Upton Park home to the nearby Olympic Stadium. Joint-chairman David Sullivan
has dispelled fears of a name change for the club itself, but confirmed
plans to evolve the club crest. Sullivan told Mirror Sport: "As a name, it
is not going to happen [Hull have tried that and met with fan and FA
resistance - Ed]. On the badge, it is possible. "We are getting the old and
the new badge and say to supporters, 'You vote. You pick it. It's your call.
You tell us, going forward what badge you want.' "It's the supporters'
vote."
The process has already begun online, with fans invited to explore the
club's plans during open consultation sessions at the Hammers' Boleyn
Ground.
Sullivan added: "We believe that, commercially, it is better for the club to
have - on the logo, nothing else - West Ham United, London. It will help us
increase our revenue and increase our status. "A lot of people in Britain,
let alone the world, don't know that we are one of the top London clubs. To
me there are four top London clubs: Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham and West
Ham. "Fulham were in Division Three for years. Crystal Palace are a yo-yo
club and Charlton have struggled in recent years. "Demographically, we are
the only club in east London and Essex - there is actually an argument that
we should put 'East London' on the badge, but we've gone for 'London'
because, internationally, we want people to know that we are a top London
club. "I wouldn't change the name of the club, because I am a
traditionalist. We will always be West Ham United FC. It will just be a big
'West Ham United' on the badge and a small 'London' underneath. "The final
version has been drawn up with consultation with our Supporters Advisory
Board. Fans will vote on it." Manchester United changed their badge in the
late 1990s, dropping the words 'football club', but are reportedly now
considering restoring them.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham are interested in Real Mallorca winger Marco Asensio despite being
offered Jefferson Montero from Monarcas Morelia
Hammers want to sign the 18-year-old who is extremely highly rated
By SIMON JONES
PUBLISHED: 22:32, 19 June 2014 | UPDATED: 22:41, 19 June 2014
Daily Mail
West Ham are interested in Real Mallorca's teenage winger Marco Asensio.
Manager Sam Allardyce has also been offered Ecuador winger Jefferson Montero
from Monarcas Morelia. However, 18-year-olld Asensio is seen as one of the
brightest young talents in Spain and has previously been watched by
Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham and Spurs target 'undergoing medical' ahead of free transfer to
West Brom
17:39 19 June 2014
London24
Former England defender Joleon Lescott is undergoing a medical ahead of a
proposed move to West Brom, according to reports. New Albion head coach Alan
Irvine confirmed on Wednesday the midlands outfit were in negotiations over
signing Lescott, who is out of contract this summer after five years with
Manchester City, and it appears the deal is now moving closer. The
31-year-old now looks set to become Irvine's first recruit since the Scot's
appointment as Baggies boss at the weekend. He worked previously with
Lescott during his time on the coaching staff at Everton. Irvine was the
Toffees' assistant manager when the centre-back joined them in 2006 from
Wolves - the club Lescott began his career at and West Brom's derby rivals.
Lescott has been linked with other Barclays Premier League sides, including
West Ham, Tottenham, Hull and Stoke, but it seems being reunited with Irvine
is what lies ahead for the Birmingham-born player. He made only 10
top-flight appearances for City in their title-winning campaign last term.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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WHUFc.com
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce is delighted with his second signing
of the summer
19.06.2014
West Ham United boss Sam Allardyce is thrilled to have completed the signing
of Senegal international Cheikhou Kouyate. Kouyate possesses substantial
UEFA Champions League and Europa League experience from his spell at
previous club Anderlecht and Big Sam is looking forward to using that in his
team. Standing 6'4 tall, Kouyate is sure to add presence to the Hammers
midfield as they look for improvement all over the pitch in 2014/15.
Allardyce said: "We're delighted to have secured what has been one of our
top targets so early in the pre-season. Kouyate is a dynamic midfielder,
goes box to box and has excellent skills with both feet as well as being
strong in the air. "If needed, he can fill in at centre back but his
strength will be what he can do in midfield and creating the chances we need
to attack. "He is only 24, so a good age and he was insistent that West Ham
was his choice of club, Valencia and a few other top clubs were after him,
but he wanted to come here and I am looking forward to him having a bright
future here at West Ham. "The importance of getting a top target so early is
vital to that player being here for the start of pre-season, especially
coming from abroad. He can get to know his team-mates at the beginning and
integrate himself and bond with the rest of the team before the season
begins, we get to know what he is about and he gets to know about us. "It
has been a long pursuit, with the Joint-Chairmen, myself and Martyn [Glover]
to get him, but we have got him and we look forward to seeing him in a West
Ham shirt in the new season."
That new season begins with a mouthwatering home game against Tottenham
Hotspur and Big Sam cannot wait to face the north Londoners. "What a game to
start the new Barclays Premier League campaign with - I am sure our fans are
rubbing their hands with delight as it is the fixture they look out for
every season. "And after beating them three times last season, the pressure
is on to do it again and in the first game of the season as well, so we will
have to be ready and keep the results going against them! "It is a tough
start, there is a real mix of teams we are playing in the first seven games,
in terms of sides who you look at being at the top, the middle and two newly
promoted sides in Burnley and Queens Park Rangers. It is quite unusual to
have so many local derbies in the first set of games, after Tottenham, we go
to Crystal Palace and then QPR, so it's tough but as we know, every game is
tough in the Premier League."
West Ham will be giving their all to prepare as well as they can for the new
season and will be the first team back to pre-season when they report back
to Chadwell Heath on 3 July. He added: "The work to prepare for the new
season is already in full swing - getting new players into our squad like we
have secured already in Mauro Zarate and Cheikhou Kouyate plus the many
other targets we are pursuing and then pre-season training, where we will be
getting the players prepared to be 100 per cent ready to go out there and
get as many points as we can on board early on. "What you have to bear in
mind is securing as many points at the start of the season is the backbone
for the squad. Last year, we had a good pre-season and then didn't get as
many points on board early on as we would have wanted and suffered for that,
even though some performances weren't reflected in the results, compared to
the season before when we had a stronger start. "With the injuries that we
then suffered, it means those points caught up with you a bit and you
struggle, so we want to go out as strong as we can from the start to
establish that confidence and get those points to help us reach the targets
we want to achieve. "There will be a lot of activity between now and the
start with new signings and like other clubs, we would want to have all if
not nearly all our transfer business completed for the season to start, but
as we all know, it doesn't happen like that and there will still be
additions being made to squads until the close of the transfer window at the
end of August, so it is a case of working hard with everything we have got
and then blending in with what we can add."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Dicks appointed Ladies manager
WHUFC.com
Julian Dicks has been appointed as West Ham United Ladies first-team manager
19.06.2014
Julian Dicks has been appointed as West Ham United Ladies first-team
manager. The former Hammers left-back became a legend in Claret and Blue
during two highly successful playing spells that saw him score 65 goals in
326 appearances. Following his retirement, Dicks managed Essex non-league
clubs Wivenhoe Town and Grays Athletic and has recently been coaching
youngsters alongside former West Ham team-mate Ian Bishop in the United
States. A long-time supporter of the women's game, the 45-year-old is
relishing the opportunity to pass on his experience to West Ham's Ladies,
who compete in the FA Women's Premier League Southern Division. "I'm an
ambitious person and I took the job because I want to improve as a manager,"
said Dicks. "I enjoyed my management when I was at Grays and Wivenhoe and,
luckily enough, West Ham Ladies have given me another chance and hopefully I
can do good things for them. "I'm looking forward to my new challenge in
football and I can't wait to get started "Ladies football is coming on
strong. I've just come back from the States, where I was coaching ladies
football, and the sport out in the States is massive and hopefully over here
it will be the same. "It's taking off but it's taking a little bit longer
than it is in America."
West Ham Ladies chairman Ray Wood said the appointment of Dicks had been
down to the hard work and imagination of captain Stacey Little, who
initially approached the new manager through social media. "Myself and
Stacey have been working on this for quite a long time and, now Julian's
appointment has been confirmed, it's going to be massive for us," said Wood.
"We have been in the same division for quite a long time and we need to push
on. We just need the opportunity to get our name out there and put a mark on
the league and, with Julian in charge, we hope we can do just that. "Julian
joining us raises the profile of the club massively. He has been coaching
ladies football in the US and his presence will make us stronger and help us
to attract more and better players. "We are hoping to go from strength to
strength."
Captain Little herself cannot wait to start work under the new manager. "We
were on the way to our final away game of last season at Portsmouth and we
were talking about who would be our new manager," said the skipper. "I said
I would like to ask Julian Dicks to do it, then I tweeted saying 'Retweet if
you think Julian Dicks should do it' and I got more than 100 retweets,
including Julian himself. "I spoke to Julian and he said he had other
coaching commitments, but that he would be interested. I was taken aback
that he'd even think about it. "Now, it's all been confirmed and I can't
stop smiling!"
Dicks' first job as Ladies manager will be to oversee trials for senior
players, which will be held at the Hammers' Chadwell Heath Training Ground
on Sunday 22 June between 12-2pm. Please contact Ladies secretary Bill
Robinson by email at billdotrobinson@yahoo.co.uk to register for the trials
or for further information. The sessions take place on astro turf or grass
so please bring the appropriate footwear.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United at the World Cup - '90
WHUFC.com
West Ham United had just one representative at the 1990 FIFA World Cup
finals in Italy
19.06.2014
Languishing in the Second Division, it was little surprise that West Ham
United had only one representative at the 1990 FIFA World Cup finals in
Italy. But there was some astonishment at Upton Park when goalkeeper Ludek
Miklosko headed off home to meet up with the Czechoslovakian squad driving a
sponsored Nissan Bluebird every mile of the way in aid of the children's
charity Barnardo's. However, Miklosko's long drive was not rewarded with any
action at Italia '90, as qualified mechanic Jan Stejskal was picked between
the sticks. As the Hammers custodian looked on, his fellow future Queens
Park Rangers stopper help the Czechoslovakians advance to the
quarter-finals, before losing to eventual winners, West Germany. The West
Germans also put paid to the chances of an England squad containing future
Hammers Peter Shilton and Stuart Pearce, with both suffering during the
Three Lions' infamous penalty shootout defeat in the semi-finals. A Republic
of Ireland side fielding ex-Hammer Ray Houghton saw off a Romanian squad
boasting future West Ham players Ilie Dumitrescu and Florin Raducioiu in
their own second round penalty shootout, only to lose to hosts Italy in the
last-eight. Another future West Ham player, midfielder John Harkes
(pictured), had little to celebrate as the United States were beaten in all
three of their Group A fixtures, including a 5-1 thrashing by Miklosko's
Czechoslovakia in Florence in their opening match.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham Ladies: Julian Dicks appointed as new manager
BBC.co.uk
Former West Ham United defender Julian Dicks has been appointed manager of
the West Ham Ladies team. Dicks, 45, made 326 appearances for the Hammers
in two spells between 1988 and 1999, scoring 65 goals. Bristol-born Dicks
has previously managed Eastern Counties League side Wivenhoe Town and Grays
Athletic when they were in the Conference Premier. "Looking forward to my
new challenge in football and can't wait to get started," Dicks wrote on
Twitter. West Ham Ladies play in the FA Women's Premier League South and
finished 10th out of 11 sides last season under previous manager Mark
Saunders on. During his career Dicks also played for Liverpool, Birmingham
City and Canvey Island.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ex-Hammer calls it a day
KUMb.com
Filed: Thursday, 19th June 2014
By: Staff Writer
Former West Ham United striker Yaniv Katan has announced his retirement from
football at the age of 34. The former Israeli international decided to hang
up his boots after being told by Maccabi Haifa boss Aleksandar Stanojevic
that he was not being offered a place in first team squad next season. Katan
was Alan Pardew's first signing of the 2006 January transfer window - a
£100,000 bargain - but made just two starts (eight appearances in total) for
West Ham before returning to Maccabi, his only other professional club, for
a nominal fee just four months later. Said to be unhappy with life in
England, Katan - who made his debut in a 2-1 FA Cup third round win at
Norwich as an 81st-minute replacement for Bobby Zamora - returned to his
homeland having failed to score a single goal for the Hammers.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
A good start is essential
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 19th June 2014
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce insists it is vital that West Ham don't repeat their poor
start to the season when the new 2014/15 Premier League campaign begins
kicks off in August. Last year the Hammers were only saved from relegation
on the penultimate weekend of the season after a dreadful start to the
campaign saw Allardyce's side amass just 15 points from the opening 19 games
of the season. This year, having been granted another relatively gentle
opening to the season, Allardyce is hoping to hit the ground running, with
new signings Mauro Zarate and Cheikou Kouyate settling in and preparing for
a full pre-season with the Hammers - something that also applies to Andy
Carroll, who missed the entire pre-season programme last summer due to
injury. "The work to prepare for the new season is already in full swing,"
Big Sam told whufc.com. We have already secured Mauro Zarate and Cheikhou
Kouyate plus there are many other targets we are pursuing. "[In] pre-season
training we will be getting the players prepared to be 100 per cent ready to
go out there and get as many points as we can on board early on. Securing as
many points at the start of the season is the backbone for the squad. "Last
year, we had a good pre-season and then didn't get as many points on board
early on as we would have wanted and suffered for that, even though some
performances weren't reflected in the results, compared to the season before
when we had a stronger start. "With the injuries that we then suffered, it
means those points caught up with you a bit and you struggle, so we want to
go out as strong as we can from the start to establish that confidence and
get those points to help us reach the targets we want to achieve."
Despite having already landed two big names for his squad, Allardyce
maintains that he expects several more to follow before the season kicks off
on 16th August against Tottenham at the Boleyn Ground. "There will be a lot
of activity between now and the start with new signings and like other
clubs, we would want to have all if not nearly all our transfer business
completed for the season to start" he said. "But, as we all know, it doesn't
happen like that and there will still be additions being made to squads
until the close of the transfer window at the end of August. It is a case of
working hard with everything we have got and then blending in with what we
can add."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cheikhou-maker
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 19th June 2014
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce says he is delighted to have acquired the services of
defensive midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate. The Senegal international put pen to
paper on a four-year contract earlier this week and becomes Big Sam's second
signing of pre-seaon following the arrival of Argentinian forward Mauro
Zarate last month.
"We're delighted to have secured what has been one of our top targets so
early in the pre-season," Allardyce told whufc.com. "Kouyate goes box to box
and has excellent skills with both feet as well as being strong in the air.
If needed, he can also fill in at centre back. "He is only 24 and he was
insistent that West Ham was his choice of club. Valencia and a few other top
clubs were after him, but he wanted to come here and I am looking forward to
him having a bright future here."
Allardyce was especially pleased to have landed a second major signing so
early in the trasnfer window. "The importance of getting a top target so
early is vital to that player being here for the start of pre-season,
especially coming from abroad," he said. "He can get to know his team-mates
at the beginning and integrate himself and bond with the rest of the team
before the season begins, we get to know what he is about and he gets to
know about us. "It has been a long pursuit, with the Joint-Chairmen, myself
and Martyn [Glover] to get him, but we have got him and we look forward to
seeing him in a West Ham shirt in the new season."
Kouyate, who gave his first interview in French was equally delighted to be
at the West Ham - and insisted that Allardyce played a major part in his
decision to leave Anderlecht for the Premier League. "Sam went out of his
way, leaving his holiday for me, so he has done everything he could for me
to join the club," he revealed. "That I'm here now is thanks to the manager,
because he convinced me. "He, my advisers and agents helped me make the
right decision and said West Ham was the ideal club for me, because as a kid
I dreamed of playing in the Premier League and now it's here that my dream
has been realised."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Julian Dicks makes West Ham return
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 19th June 2014
By: Staff Writer
Hammers legend Julian Dicks has returned to the club - as manager of West
Ham Ladies. The appointment was confirmed this morning in a short statement.
Dicks, 45, said: "This is an exciting time to be involved in the women's
game, I am very proud to be associated with the club again. "I believe
whilst this is an opportunity for me, but also the club, together we can
take the women's squad further. I have experienced first-hand of how far the
woman's game has evolved; women's football is growing very quickly here in
the UK. "Whilst things were finalised early this morning [Thursday], I have
already had a couple of conversations with first team Captain Stacey Little
and I am really looking forward to meeting the rest of the squad in the
familiar claret and blue."
Chairman Ray Wood was naturally delighted at the news. "Julian is an ideal
candidate for us," he said. "With the team winning a trophy last season and
having so many talented players within the side, we wanted the right
candidate who could take things forward. "Julian is an ideal match for our
ambition."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce delighted to land Cheikhou Kouyate
Last Updated: 19/06/14 11:20am
SSN
West Ham United boss Sam Allardyce says he is thrilled to have signed top
target Cheikhou Kouyate so early in the season. Kouyate, who joined West Ham
for an undisclosed fee from Anderlecht on a four-year deal, becomes the
club's second summer signing following the arrival of Argentine striker
Mauro Zarate.
Allardyce told the club's website: "We're delighted to have secured what has
been one of our top targets so early in the pre-season. Kouyate is a dynamic
midfielder, goes box to box and has excellent skills with both feet as well
as being strong in the air. "If needed, he can fill in at centre back but
his strength will be what he can do in midfield and creating the chances we
need to attack. "He is only 24, so a good age and he was insistent that West
Ham was his choice of club. Valencia and a few other top clubs were after
him, but he wanted to come here and I am looking forward to him having a
bright future here at West Ham.
"The importance of getting a top target so early is vital to that player
being here for the start of pre-season, especially coming from abroad. He
can get to know his team-mates at the beginning and integrate himself and
bond with the rest of the team before the season begins, we get to know what
he is about and he gets to know about us. "It has been a long pursuit, with
the joint chairmen, myself and Martyn Glover to get him, but we have got him
and we look forward to seeing him in a West Ham shirt in the new season."
"We're delighted to have secured what has been one of our top targets so
early in the pre-season. Kouyate is a dynamic midfielder, goes box to box
and has excellent skills with both feet as well as being strong in the air."
West Ham will kick off the new season with a home game against Tottenham and
Allardyce is looking forward to facing Mauricio Pochettino's side. He
added: "What a game to start the new Barclays Premier League campaign with -
I am sure our fans are rubbing their hands with delight as it is the fixture
they look out for every season. "And after beating them three times last
season, the pressure is on to do it again and in the first game of the
season as well, so we will have to be ready and keep the results going
against them! "It is a tough start, there is a real mix of teams we are
playing in the first seven games, in terms of sides who you look at being at
the top, the middle and two newly promoted sides in Burnley and Queens Park
Rangers. "It is quite unusual to have so many local derbies in the first
set of games, after Tottenham, we go to Crystal Palace and then QPR, so it's
tough but as we know, every game is tough in the Premier League."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham plot badge change to go with their move to the Olympic Stadium in
2016
Jun 19, 2014 17:36 By Darren Lewis
David Sullivan wants the Hammers' badge to include the word 'London' to make
them more marketable but says it is the fans' call
The Mirror
West Ham United are set to become West Ham London - but only on the club's
badge. In a bid to increase their worldwide appeal, the Hammers are
consulting with fans in the hope they will approve the move. The idea has
emerged two years before the east Londoners' proposed switch from their
Upton Park home to the nearby Olympic Stadium. Joint-chairman David Sullivan
has dispelled fears of a name change for the club itself, but confirmed
plans to evolve the club crest. Sullivan told Mirror Sport: "As a name, it
is not going to happen [Hull have tried that and met with fan and FA
resistance - Ed]. On the badge, it is possible. "We are getting the old and
the new badge and say to supporters, 'You vote. You pick it. It's your call.
You tell us, going forward what badge you want.' "It's the supporters'
vote."
The process has already begun online, with fans invited to explore the
club's plans during open consultation sessions at the Hammers' Boleyn
Ground.
Sullivan added: "We believe that, commercially, it is better for the club to
have - on the logo, nothing else - West Ham United, London. It will help us
increase our revenue and increase our status. "A lot of people in Britain,
let alone the world, don't know that we are one of the top London clubs. To
me there are four top London clubs: Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham and West
Ham. "Fulham were in Division Three for years. Crystal Palace are a yo-yo
club and Charlton have struggled in recent years. "Demographically, we are
the only club in east London and Essex - there is actually an argument that
we should put 'East London' on the badge, but we've gone for 'London'
because, internationally, we want people to know that we are a top London
club. "I wouldn't change the name of the club, because I am a
traditionalist. We will always be West Ham United FC. It will just be a big
'West Ham United' on the badge and a small 'London' underneath. "The final
version has been drawn up with consultation with our Supporters Advisory
Board. Fans will vote on it." Manchester United changed their badge in the
late 1990s, dropping the words 'football club', but are reportedly now
considering restoring them.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham are interested in Real Mallorca winger Marco Asensio despite being
offered Jefferson Montero from Monarcas Morelia
Hammers want to sign the 18-year-old who is extremely highly rated
By SIMON JONES
PUBLISHED: 22:32, 19 June 2014 | UPDATED: 22:41, 19 June 2014
Daily Mail
West Ham are interested in Real Mallorca's teenage winger Marco Asensio.
Manager Sam Allardyce has also been offered Ecuador winger Jefferson Montero
from Monarcas Morelia. However, 18-year-olld Asensio is seen as one of the
brightest young talents in Spain and has previously been watched by
Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham and Spurs target 'undergoing medical' ahead of free transfer to
West Brom
17:39 19 June 2014
London24
Former England defender Joleon Lescott is undergoing a medical ahead of a
proposed move to West Brom, according to reports. New Albion head coach Alan
Irvine confirmed on Wednesday the midlands outfit were in negotiations over
signing Lescott, who is out of contract this summer after five years with
Manchester City, and it appears the deal is now moving closer. The
31-year-old now looks set to become Irvine's first recruit since the Scot's
appointment as Baggies boss at the weekend. He worked previously with
Lescott during his time on the coaching staff at Everton. Irvine was the
Toffees' assistant manager when the centre-back joined them in 2006 from
Wolves - the club Lescott began his career at and West Brom's derby rivals.
Lescott has been linked with other Barclays Premier League sides, including
West Ham, Tottenham, Hull and Stoke, but it seems being reunited with Irvine
is what lies ahead for the Birmingham-born player. He made only 10
top-flight appearances for City in their title-winning campaign last term.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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Thursday, June 19
Daily WHUFC News - 19th June 2014
Hammers complete Kouyate transfer
WHUFC.com
Senegal international Cheikhou Kouyate has signed for the Hammers for an
undisclosed fee
18.06.2014
West Ham United are delighted to confirm the transfer of Anderlecht
midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate for an undisclosed fee. The 24-year-old Senegal
international arrives from the Belgian champions on a four-year deal and
becomes the Hammers' second new addition of the summer, following the
signing of Argentine striker Mauro Zarate. The Hammers had to fight off
strong competition from clubs across Europe to land the services of Kouyate,
who possesses extensive UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League
experience from his time at Anderlecht. Kouyate is thrilled to have
completed his move to the Hammers, as he exclusively told West Ham TV: "I am
very happy, because today West Ham have given me the chance to play in the
Premier League. So I'm very happy to join such a club and that gives me
great pleasure. "I know a few players who were also at the club, [Carlos]
Tevez, Demba [Ba], Andy Carroll, who was obviously here last season. West
Ham are a team who are known and who are going to help me to progress. For
my part, I'm going to try to do great things here and try to improve further
still as a player. "That I'm here now is thanks to the manager, because he
went out of his way, leaving his holiday for me, so he has done everything
he could for me to join the club. He, my advisers and agents helped me make
the right decision and said West Ham was the ideal club for me, because as a
kid I dreamed of playing in the Premier League and now it's here that my
dream has been realised."
Joint-Chairman David Sullivan has welcomed Kouyate to the Club and believes
his capture is a good indicator of the direction the Club is heading in. "I
am absolutely delighted to have clinched the signing of Cheikhou after weeks
of tough negotiations that saw us beat off the challenge of some huge clubs
across Europe for his signature," Mr Sullivan said. "He comes with vast
experience at the top level - including the Champions League - despite being
only 24 and I am sure he will add valuable competition to places. "We are
determined to have a better season this year and this signing is a statement
of the direction the Club is heading in. We hope to have at least four more
signings in place by the time we kick-off against Tottenham on 16 August as
we aim for at least a top-ten finish this season."
Born in Dakar, Senegal, Kouyate moved to Europe at the age of 15 when FC
Brussels took him into their Academy and the 6'4 central midfielder's
breakthrough came in the 2007/08 campaign when he made ten first team
appearances in the Belgian top flight. He earned a move to Anderlecht in the
summer of 2008, quickly becoming a mainstay in the starting line-up. A first
Belgian title arrived in the 2009/10 season, and he added to his medal
collection as Anderlecht claimed the crown for the last three campaigns. In
Europe, Kouyate played a full role as Anderlecht reached the knockout stages
of the UEFA Europa League in 2009/10, 2010/11 and 2011/12, and the group
phase of the UEFA Champions League for the last two seasons.
Internationally, Kouyate is a teammate of Senegal captain Mo Diame. He has
been capped eleven times and represented his country at the 2012 London
Olympic Games.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Kouyate - 'It's a dream come true'
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's new signing Cheikhou Kouyate is thrilled to have joined
the Club
18.06.2014
Cheikhou Kouyate cannot wait to get stuck in to his new challenge at West
Ham United after completing his transfer from Belgian champions Anderlecht
on Wednesday. The 24-year-old midfielder arrives on a four-year deal and he
admitted that the lure of showcasing his talents in the Barclays Premier
League presented him with an unmissable opportunity. Kouyate, capped eleven
times by Senegal, won the Belgian title in four of his six seasons, and is
now looking forward to testing himself at his new Club. He told West Ham TV:
"That I'm here now is thanks to the manager, because he convinced me. He, my
advisers and agents helped me make the right decision and said West Ham was
the ideal club for me, because as a kid I dreamed of playing in the Premier
League and now it's here that my dream has been realised. "Sam wanted me to
sign, first and foremost. He went out of his way, leaving his holiday for
me, so he has done everything he could for me to join the Club. He said all
that he needed to so that I joined the Club. Kouyate describes himself as an
athletic midfielder, and although he filled in at the back on occasion for
Anderlecht, he sees himself slotting into the Hammers' engine room. He
explained: "I'm big, quick and athletic, so a box-to-box midfielder. I'm a
midfielder, so [when playing] as a defender, it was only to fill in. Now
I've come to West Ham as a defensive midfielder, so I don't want to be
thought of as a defender."
Dakar-born Kouyate is already well-versed on his new Club and is determined
to help push them onto greater heights in 2014/15. He added: "The aim is to
try to do better than last season. Anything's possible in football, so we
want to rub shoulders with the big boys and really push them. "We mustn't
forget that a lot of work lies ahead, but I've come to bring all that I have
and to try to have a good season."
Kouyate represented his country at the 2012 London Olympic Games so has
already visited the Hammers' new home, and he cannot wait to step out on the
pitch there again. "I was there with the national team of Senegal for the
Olympic Games," he recalled. "It's fantastic that they're now going to make
it a football stadium. It's a good project, it shows that the Club is
ambitious and it bodes well for the future. "London's a great city and
West Ham is the Club that has allowed me to come to the Premier League. That
was my dream, my dream was to play in the Premier League. Now I have that
opportunity to show what I can do, to wear the colours of West Ham and I'm
honoured. "I'll see the supporters in a few weeks. I know they'll be there
in their numbers and the rest will unfold on the pitch!"
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Joint-Chairmen excited by opener
WHUFc.com
Joint-Chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold react to West Ham United's
2014/15 fixture list
18.06.2014
Joint-Chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold's excitement for the new season
has gone up another notch after the Barclays Premier League fixture list
presented a mouthwatering set of opening matches. The lifelong Hammers fans
will see their side kick-off with back-to-back London derbies, starting with
Tottenham Hotspur at home followed by a trip to last season's surprise
package, Crystal Palace. The next four home games cover the visits to the
Boleyn Ground of Southampton, Liverpool, Harry Redknapp's Queen's Park
Rangers and champions Manchester City, which all promise sell-out crowds and
electric atmospheres. "It is a tremendously exciting start to the new
season, with three of the first five home games against top-six sides from
last season," Joint-Chairman David Sullivan said. "Although they will
obviously not be easy, it probably isn't a bad time to be playing them as
some of their players might still have a World Cup hangover. Our squad
should be refreshed and recharged after a thorough pre-season so I'm
optimistic we can get off to a good start. The Hammers famously recorded
three consecutive victories against Spurs last season and will be presented
with the earliest possible chance to make it four on the spin on when they
travel to east London on 16 August. The north Londoners will have a new
manager in Mauricio Pochettino in the dugout and Mr Sullivan believes that
could also help the Hammers. "The three victories against Spurs were
undoubtedly the highlight of last season and I'm really pleased we've been
handed another fixture with them so early this season. "They will obviously
be fired up for the game after what happened last season and you can never
be sure how a team with a new manager in charge will start. It could be that
it takes some time for his new ideas to embed themselves in the team so
we've got to try to take advantage of any uncertainty they may have. "For
our part, we are aiming to have at least four more new signings in place by
that game so I am sure we will be an even tougher opponent for them than
last season."
The Hammers overcame Tottenham on the opening day of the 1999 season and
Joint-Chairman David Gold, feels there is no reason Sam Allardyce's side
cannot repeat that feat this time around. He said: "Despite us being in the
midst of the World Cup, the fixture list brings your thoughts back to the
Premier League. "Tottenham at home is an amazing first fixture. It'll be a
full house at the Boleyn Ground and I couldn't think of a better way to
kick-off the new season than playing Spurs at home."
Mr Gold also shares the same optimism about what the 2014/15 season could
bring West Ham United. With one high-profile signing of Mauro Zarate already
in the bag and more set to follow, the Joint-Chairman is looking forward to
seeing what the new signings can add to the squad. "The first game is always
exciting as it'll be the first time we can see our new faces in competitive
action. We'll undoubtedly have a stronger squad than last season, with the
exciting signing of Zarate along with another major signing we're hoping to
announce shortly. "We've looked at what went wrong last season and we've
acted upon it and with everyone fit and firing for the first game I'm
confident we've got a great season to look forward to."
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Spurs at home first up for Hammers
WHUFc.com
West Ham United's fixtures for the 2014/15 season have been released
18.06.2014
West Ham United will kick-off the 2014/15 Barclays Premier League season
with a mouthwatering home London derby with Tottenham Hotspur. Fresh from
defeating the north Londoners three times in the 2013/14 season, Sam
Allardyce's side will start the new campaign by welcoming Mauricio
Pochettino's side to the Boleyn Ground on Saturday 16 August. The Hammers'
first away game will follow with a trip to Crystal Palace on Saturday 23
August before returning home on Saturday 30 August to play Southampton. Big
Sam's men will wrap up league matters on Sunday 24 May 2015, when they make
the long trek to Newcastle United. The Hammers take on reigning Barclays
Premier League champions Manchester City on Saturday 25 October (home) and
Saturday 18 April (away), while they host runners-up Liverpool on Saturday
September 20. The return match at Tottenham Hotspur will take place on
Saturday 21 February, while Jose Mourinho's Chelsea will form the Boxing Day
opposition at Stamford Bridge, while they visit E13 on Tuesday 3 March.
Premier League new boys Queens Park Rangers visit the Boleyn Ground on
Saturday 4 October, while the Hammers travel to Leicester City on Saturday 4
April and Burnley on Saturday 18 April. After Chelsea on Boxing Day, the
other traditional Christmas and New Year fixtures will see the Hammers face
Arsenal at home on Sunday 28 December and West Bromwich Albion at home on
New Year's Day. West Ham are one of 13 Barclays Premier League clubs who
will enter the Capital One Cup at the second round stage, with ties
scheduled to be played in the week commencing Monday 25 August. Please note
that all fixtures are subject to change, with broadcast selections through
to November due to be confirmed by Friday 4 July. All fixtures against teams
competing in the Europa League are subject to movement from Saturday to
Sunday, should they be playing on the preceding Thursday
Full list of fixtures (all subject to change)
Sat Aug 16 Tottenham Hotspur H
Sat Aug 23 Crystal Palace A
Sat Aug 30 Southampton H
Sat Sep 13 Hull City A
Sat Sep 20 Liverpool H
Sat Sep 27 Manchester United A
Sat Oct 4 Queens Park Rangers H
Sat Oct 18 Burnley A
Sat Oct 25 Manchester City H
Sat Nov 1 Stoke City A
Sat Nov 8 Aston Villa H
Sat Nov 22 Everton A
Sat Nov 29 Newcastle United H
Tue Dec 2 West Bromwich Albion A
Sat Dec 6 Swansea City H
Sat Dec 13 Sunderland A
Sat Dec 20 Leicester City H
Fri Dec 26 Chelsea A
Sun Dec 28 Arsenal H
Thu Jan 1 West Bromwich Albion H
Sat Jan 10 Swansea City A
Sat Jan 17 Hull City H
Sat Jan 31 Liverpool A
Sat Feb 7 Manchester United H
Tue Feb 10 Southampton A
Sat Feb 21 Tottenham Hotspur A
Sat Feb 28 Crystal Palace H
Tue Mar 3 Chelsea H
Sat Mar 14 Arsenal A
Sat Mar 21 Sunderland H
Sat Apr 4 Leicester City A
Sat Apr 11 Stoke City H
Sat Apr 18 Manchester City A
Sat Apr 25 Queens Park Rangers A
Sat May 2 Burnley H
Sat May 9 Aston Villa A
Sat May 16 Everton H
Sun May 24 Newcastle United A
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham: Cheikhou Kouyate joins from Anderlecht
BBC.co.uk
West Ham United have completed the signing of Senegalese midfielder Cheikhou
Kouyate on a four-year deal from Anderlecht. Kouyate, capped 11 times by
Senegal, moves to Upton Park for an undisclosed fee. He helped Anderlecht
win four league titles after joining them in 2008. "I am very happy because
today West Ham have given me the chance to play in the Premier League," said
the 24-year-old. "For my part, I'm going to try to do great things here and
try to improve further still as a player." Kouyate, who played for Senegal
against Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics, can also play in defence.
West Ham joint-chairman David Sullivan told the club website: "We hope to
have at least four more signings in place by the time we kick off against
Tottenham on 16 August as we aim for at least a top-10 finish." Kouyate is
the Hammers' second new addition of the summer, following Argentine striker
Mauro Zarate.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Senegal midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate signs for West Ham
BBC.co.uk
West Ham have completed the signing of Senegal midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate.
The 24-year-old joins from the Belgian champions Anderlecht on a four-year
deal for an undisclosed fee. "West Ham have given me the chance to play in
the Premier League, I am very happy. To join such a club gives me great
pleasure," he told West Ham TV. Kouyate played for Senegal at the London
2012 Olympics, coming on as a substitute against Great Britain in the 1-1
draw at Old Trafford. He has also won five full international caps and joins
the Hammers off the back of a season where he played 44 matches for
Anderlecht, including six Champions League appearances, and helped the club
secure a third consecutive Belgian title. Koutaye revealed he is eager to
step up to a new challenge and follow in the footsteps of players he
admires. "I know a few players who were also at the club - Carlos Tevez,
Demba Ba, Andy Carroll, who was obviously here last season. West Ham are a
team who are known and ho are going to help me to progress," he said. "For
my part, I am going to try to do great things here and try to improve
further still as a player. "That I am here now is thanks to the manager,
because he went out of his way, leaving his holiday for me, so he has done
everything he could for me to join the club. "He, my advisers and agents
helped me make the right decision and said West Ham was the ideal club for
me, because as a kid I dreamed of playing in the Premier League and now it
is here that my dream has been realised."
Kouate's arrival follows that of Argentina striker Mauro Zarate, who joined
on a three-year contract from Velez Sarsfield at the end of May. And West
Ham co-chairman David Sullivan revealed more additions are likely. "We hope
to have at least four more signings in place by the time we kick-off against
Tottenham on 16 August as we aim for at least a top-10 finish this season,"
he said.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cheikhou Kouyate joins West Ham on four-year deal from Anderlecht
Last Updated: 18/06/14 1:38pm
SSN
West Ham have completed the signing of midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate from
Anderlecht on a four-year deal. The Senegal international joins for an
undisclosed fee and becomes the club's second summer signing following the
recent arrival of Argentine striker Mauro Zarate. A number of clubs were
thought to be tracking the 24-year-old, but he was impressed with the
perseverance of Sam Allardyce, who cut short his holiday to complete the
deal. Kouyate, who has played in the Champions League with the Belgian
champions, told the club's official website: "I am very happy, because today
West Ham have given me the chance to play in the Premier League. So I'm very
happy to join such a club and that gives me great pleasure. "That I'm here
now is thanks to the manager, because he went out of his way, leaving his
holiday for me, so he has done everything he could for me to join the club."
"I know a few players who were also at the club, [Carlos] Tevez, Demba [Ba],
Andy Carroll, who was obviously here last season. "West Ham are a team who
are known and who are going to help me to progress. For my part, I'm going
to try to do great things here and try to improve further still as a player.
"That I'm here now is thanks to the manager, because he went out of his way,
leaving his holiday for me, so he has done everything he could for me to
join the club. "He, my advisers and agents helped me make the right decision
and said West Ham was the ideal club for me, because as a kid I dreamed of
playing in the Premier League and now it's here that my dream has been
realised."
Joint-chairman David Sullivan believes this latest arrival proves the club
are serious about launching an assault on the top half of the Premier League
after the struggles of last season. He hopes for at least four more recruits
during the summer before the opening game against Tottenham at Upton Park.
"I am absolutely delighted to have clinched the signing of Cheikhou after
weeks of tough negotiations that saw us beat off the challenge of some huge
clubs across Europe for his signature," said Sullivan. "He comes with vast
experience at the top level - including the Champions League - despite being
only 24 and I am sure he will add valuable competition to places. "We are
determined to have a better season this year and this signing is a statement
of the direction the club is heading in. "We hope to have at least four more
signings in place by the time we kick-off against Tottenham on 16 August as
we aim for at least a top-ten finish this season."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham must aim for top-six finish, says co-owner David Sullivan
Last Updated: 18/06/14 12:15pm
SSN
David Sullivan insists breaking into the Premier League top six must be West
Ham's ambition and believes the appointment of Teddy Sheringham is a signal
of their intent. After last season saw manager Sam Allardyce come in for
criticism over the team's style of play, West Ham have recruited former
striker Sheringham in a bid to provide the attacking brand of football the
Upton Park faithful crave. Hammers fans were dismayed by Allardyce's
tactical approach but despite the unrest, Sullivan, co-owner David Gold and
vice-chairman Karren Brady opted to back their manager. Sullivan believes
offering such support to Allardyce quashes suggestions the club are dictated
to by opinions from the terraces. "I don't think we have undermined Sam at
all. We've been very honest with him. He is in the last year of his contract
and he knows we have to have a better performance because the fans won't
stand for it otherwise." "It's quite the opposite," he told the Daily
Mirror. "They voted 80-20 per cent to sack the manager. We didn't sack the
manager." West Ham get their 2014/15 campaign underway on August 16 as
London rivals Tottenham visit Upton Park and Sullivan admits the fans are
right to be ambitious.
Not acceptable
"You can't just look to stay up," he said. "It is not acceptable to our
supporters to say, 'We've survived. We've had a very good campaign'. "We are
not Norwich. We are not Fulham. We are not Reading. We are West Ham United.
"Our supporters are realistic. They know it is a huge and difficult task to
break into the top six. But we must be aiming for that, even if we don't
achieve it." Sullivan believes the addition of former England forward
Sheringham to the coaching staff will prove influential, but denies
suggestions the appointment undermined Allardyce. "We had a lot of people
approach us to become our attacking coach and Sam picked the one he wanted,"
he added. "Yes, we suggested the idea, but Sam liked it. "We didn't
undermine him at all. I think he has analysed the performance of the team
last year and agreed that we would like to score more goals. It was a
weakness of the team and he has brought in an expert to try and improve
that. "Teddy has played at the highest level. If you combine his game
intelligence with the level he has played at, I do not believe that he won't
improve our attacking ideas, whether it is the way we take our corners, our
free-kicks, or just our overall strategy. "I believe we will be a better
team for having him as part of our management set-up."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Leyton Orient warn rivals off Moses Odubajo
Last Updated: 18/06/14 12:10pm
SSN
Barry Hearn has warned those monitoring Moses Odubajo that it will require
'a king's ransom' to lure him away from Leyton Orient. The 20-year-old
winger is a product of Orient's academy system and they have carefully
nurtured him into a first-team star following loan spells at St Albans,
Sutton United and Bishops Stortford earlier in his career. The youngster has
been handed a senior stage on which to shine in the last two seasons, and
has offered a sizeable return on that show of faith. The 2013/14 campaign
saw him score 12 times in all competitions, including a spectacular strike
in the League One play-off final defeat to Rotherham United. His efforts
have not gone unnoticed, with Premier League interest reported to have been
sparked. Tottenham Hotspur reportedly enquired as to Odubajo's availability
in January, and remain keen, while West Ham United are also claimed to be
plotting a raid on their capital rivals. Orient have no intention of
selling, though, with Hearn eager to ensure that a successful side is not
allowed to be broken up by the poaching of top talent. He said in The Sun:
"Moses is the best player to come out of Orient in generations. "It would
take a king's ransom to get him out of the club."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
NEW SIGNING STATS: CHEIKHOU KOUYATÉ
By Tom Aldworth 18 Jun 2014 at 19:21
West Ham Till I Die
Cheikhou Kouyaté
DOB: 21/12/1989
Age: 24
Position: Defender/Midfielder
Previous Club: R.S.C. Anderlecht
Previous Division: Belgian Jupiler League
Transfer Date: 18/06/2014
Reported Fee: £7.2m
Analysis
In a move that feels like it's rumbled on for eternity, Cheikhou Kouyaté has
finally completed his move to West Ham United from R.S.C. Anderlecht. The
highly rated Senegal defender/midfielder joins for a reported fee of around
£7.2m, and is the clubs second signing after the arrival of Mauro Zárate at
the end of May.
So what do we know about the new arrival? A quick google search will tell
you that both Arsenal and Liverpool were linked with the 24 year old just a
few months back, and we know that Valencia were interested too. By all
accounts, this is a bit of a coup for the Irons.
Head to West Ham United Stats for my full analysis of the new man, including
a comparison with his new team mates, and a look at some of his strengths .
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WILL THE POLICY TOWARDS OUR YOUNGSTERS CHANGE NEXT SEASON?
By S J Chandos 18 Jun 2014 at 13:00
West Ham Till I Die
I think it is fair to say that it has not been a great recent period in the
illustrious history of West Ham's Academy. The legendary production line
seems to have developed a mechanical fault of late. But is this down to the
quality of our recent crops of youngsters or is it also related to a deficit
of belief in the value of promoting youth?
We have recently seen Jordan Spence's failure to make the grade at the club
and that followed the departure of such formerly rated prospects as Sears,
Hines and Stanislas. Maybe recent crops of talent have not excelled like Rio
Ferdinand, Joe Cole and Micheal Carrick, but did they get anything like the
opportunities that those famous Academy graduates enjoyed? And would
Ferdinand and co have become the same players without those early first team
opportunities?
It is all very well issuing blanket verdicts that: they are just not good
enough, if they were they would be playing! Of course they have to reach a
certain standard to get in the first team frame. The question is whether,
having attained the required standard, they are then getting a 'fair crack
of the whip.' Few prospects, if any, emerge from the youth/Development Squad
100% equipped for first team football. I remember Joe Cole's first team
debut and, although bursting with tricks and neats touches, he still had a
considerable way to go before becoming anything like the finished article.
And he progressed by playing regularly in the first team, not by
disappearing back in to the youth/reserve team. Similiarly, both Rio
Ferdinand and Frank Lampard Jnr developed their game in the first team, not
out on loan nor in the reserves. Again, both had some areas for improvement
and they worked on their game week in/week out alongside seasoned
professionals. A major difference is that the club in that era seemed to
accept that first team opportunities were both a learning curve and key to
the ongoing development of young players. But it seems that today, in the
present high stakes world of Premier League football, it is far too risky to
play 'kids.' If that is so, what does that say about what English football
is becoming and, indeed, where it is going. Moreover, what does it mean for
the future of West Ham's famous Academy?
Putting youngsters out on loan can be an important part of their
development. But they must be the correct loan deals, which actively support
their learning and development. To me, it seems that many are put out in the
vague hope that the experience might result in something 'clicking' for the
players in question. Is it likely that a youngster will return from a month
on loan, to say non-league Luton Town, suddenly transformed and ready to
challenge for a first team place? Of course not. Too many recent youngsters
have stalled in their development, as they have stagnated in the U-21 squad
and/or moved from one aimless loan deal to another. All of which has
resulted in fustrated potential, the exit door and an eventual lower league
move to the likes of Colchester or Dagenham & Redbridge. This is a
depressing pattern that has become all too familiar in recent seasons.
You can constantly deploy the: they are not ready/done enough to impress
argument. But the fact is we currently have a group of three youngsters who
are close to making a break through. All three have had at least a taste of
first team football and would surely benefit from further exposure. Those
youngsters are Potts, Chambers, and Elliott Lee. Next season, will they be a
part of the first team squad, train at that level and be used (at least
sparingly) from the bench? Or will they be put out on perpetual loan and/or
stagnate in the Development Squad? They are at a stage where they need to be
tested and learn alongside first team regulars. Yes, there is a element of
risk, but when has there never been risk attached to playing youngsters. The
important thing is to manage it. rather than becoming totally risk adverse.
That's why Ted Fenton consulted with his Captain, Noel Cantwell, before
selecting Bobby Moore for the home match Vs Man Utd in 1958-59. And please
do not tell me that the inclusion of Moore was 'risk free' at that very
early stage of his career. You only have to look at Moore's next game Vs
Notts Forrest to see that he did not have a completely smooth transition to
first team football. But he got his chance, learnt, progressed and realised
his exceptional potential with the help of experienced defenders like John
Bond and Noel Cantwell. It is the same story with Geoff Hurst. It has to be
acknowledged that (apart from Ron Greenwood) the single biggest influence on
Hurst's development as a striker was Johnny Byrne. Hurst learnt many of the
more sophisticated tools of the striker's trade from the 'English Di
Stefano' and it was key in his subsequent development in to a world class
centre forward.
So, the contention is that youngsters need planned first team exposure and
benefit from the guidance of experienced professionals. Is that currently
happening at West Ham? As an outside observer, I am not convinced that it
is. Indeed, nothing could be further removed from it than the 'sacrifice of
the lambs' horror show that we witnessed last season at Notts Forrest. There
has been much talk of changing our style of play next season. But will there
also be a change of policy next season towards our youngsters? Will Potts,
Chambers and Lee (and perhaps others) get more first team exposure as a
result? Because at the end of the day, the fate of this talented trio next
season could well be an indicator of the future of the Academy as a whole.
Obviously, the club need to operate successfully in the transfer market and
bring quality players to the club. There is no bone of contention there. But
ideally that should be but half of the strategy. The other half, at a club
of West Ham's proud traditions, should be about producing and bringing
through our own talent. And there needs to be a successful synthesis, where
the youngsters thrive by training, playing alongside and learning from high
quality acquisitions. Much as the likes of Joe Cole once learnt from players
of the quality of Eyal Berkavic and Paolo Di Canio. Arguably that is the
trick for West Ham going forward, to get that synthesis right. That is the
challenge and the balance that must be struck. The future of the Academy and
this crucial aspect of the club's identity/heritage may well depend on it.
ps. It appears that West Ham do have an outstanding Rio Ferdinand type
starlet coming through its Academy ranks. He name is Reece Oxford, a 15 year
old, 6ft 3 inch, ball playing centre back, who played for the U-18s last
season and has allegedly already trained with the first team. And it has
been suggested that Oxford is so highly thought of that his development
could be further fast tracked next season. Could this be an example of
exactly what I have argued for in the above article. Possibly, yes, perhaps
the club's recent conservatism on blooding youngsters will be thrown aside
in the face of Oxford's outstanding promise and he will break through in to
the first team within a season or two. The problem is that such is his
reputation that both Arsenal and Chelsea are allegedly seeking to steal the
youngster from West Ham's grasp. Will they succeed? Possibly not, but our
recent declining record on youth development may not help our cause.
Hopefully, the saving grace will be that Oxford will realise that he still
has a better over all chance of progressing at West Ham. But that is
probably not nearly as clear cut as it once was. So, it is important that we
value the Academy and continue our long standing reputation for positively
and genuinely promoting youth development. A line in the sand needs to be
drawn on this issue, in addition to the others addressed just recently.
SJ. Chandos.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
REPORTS EMERGE THAT ALONSO IS TO ARRIVE IN A £1.5M DEAL, AS THE PL FIXTURES
ARE ANNOUNCED AT 9AM TODAY!
By S J Chandos 18 Jun 2014 at 07:30
West Ham Till I Die
We know that West Ham have prioritised left-back as a key position that
requires addressing in the summer transfer window. There have been reports
that the club have been holding concurrent talks with up to four possible
left-back targets. The best known of these is Norwich City's Martin Olsson.
However, latterly, another name has come in to the frame, Fiorentina's
Marcos Alonso. West Ham will recall Alonso on loan at Sunderland last season
and him turning in some useful performances. The Black Cats are seeking a
permanent deal for the player, but it appears West Ham could be looking to
guzump them.
Indeed, the Mirror Sports are reporting that the Hammers are close to
agreeing a bargain £1.5m deal for Alonso's services, which represents very
good value for money. It appears negotations with the player may be at an
advanced stage and, all things being equal, a deal could be concluded sooner
rather than later. It has been suggested that West Ham switched their
attentions to Alonso after being priced out of a deal for Nice's Timothee
Kolodziejczak.
The Sports Mirror's Darren Lewis has also published an interview with David
Sullivan. In it, our co-owner confirms that Sam Allardyce was fully
supportive of the idea of appointing an attacking coach and Teddy Sheringham
was the manager's choice; that a club like West Ham must have higher
ambitions than just staying up and Hammers fans expect a concerted effort to
break in to the top six, even if they do not actually achieve it next
season; and Sam Allardyce knows that improvement is needed on the last
campaign and the Hammers fans will not stand for a repeat. Finally, Mr
Sullivan refutes the suggestion that the board are being overly dictated to
by fans opinion. In fact, in response and by way of a rebuttal, he makes the
point that the fans voted by c.80% to 20% in a poll to sack the manager, but
the board chose not go down that road.
The club have not yet announced the deal officially, but a number of sources
are reporting that the club have sealed a deal for Anderlecht's Chiekou
Kouyate on a 4 year contract. The reports state that West Ham beat off
competition from a couple of Spanish clubs (thought to be Valencia and
Seville) to secure the player for a fee of c£7m. If true, and there are
conflicting views on this, it is excellent news for the club. The Senegal
international is a towering 6ft 4 inch dynamo, who can operate both at
centre-back and as a defensive midfielder. I personally hope that he gets
the chance to play as a defensive midfielder, alongside Mark Noble. Whilst
fans naturally respond best to the signing of players with silky, creative
attacking skills, others who are powerful, industrious and facilitate the
attacking play are equally as important within a team context. Think of
players like Neill Orr in the 1985-86 team, who oiled the wheels of the
team, won the ball and created the space for the Devonshires, Dickens,
Cottees and McAvennies to attack the opposition. In that, and other key
respects (he is a good passer of the ball and keeps possession well),
Kouyate can be a major player for West Ham and a great addition for next
season. Yes, fans are probably still looking to add another flair player or
two, but that is no reason to under-value the significance of this deal. In
fact, Kouyate can compliment those type of players and help them to maximise
their performance.
Talking of players who are on the more creative end of the playing spectrum,
it has been reported by some sources that West Ham might make a move for
Newcastle Utd's midfielder, Hatem Ben Arfa. Ben Arfa is thought to be
unhappy at St James Park and nurtures ambitions to move to another Premier
League side. He could even be available for a £5m fee, which is good value
for money in the current market. However, there is likely to be fierce
competition for his signature, with Spurs, Everton, Monaco and Dortmund all
supposedly with an active interest in acquiring the player. On the subject
of the bar codes, it appears that Alan Pardew is in talks to sign Hertha
Berlin striker, Pierre-Michel Lassoga in a c.7m deal. Lassoga spent last
season on loan at Hamburg and was prolific, scoring 13 goals in 20 matches.
At 22 years of age, he seems a good prospect, although he did have some
persistant injury problems earlier in his career. West Ham were linked with
him at one point, and if they are still interested they need to get a move
on, because Newcastle utd appear to have stole a march in signing him.
While the attention is naturally on incoming deals, there are some key
players who entering the final year of existing contracts. This includes
Winston Reid, Ravel Morrison and Mo Diame. The outcome of negotiations will
be of equal interest to Hammers fans. Surely some progress/outcomes will be
reported soon?
Finally, the 2014-15 Premier League fixtures are due to be announced at 9am
today. The rumour is that we have drawn an opening, away day, fixture at
Hull City. We will see soon enough whether that is true. What other key
fixtures are fans looking out for? How kindly or otherwise will the fixtures
treat us in the various phases of the forthcoming season? All will be duly
revealed this morning!
SJ. Chandos.
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West Ham transfer plan is FOUR more signings on top of newcomers Kouyate and
Zarate
Jun 18, 2014 20:15 By Darren Lewis
Ecuador World Cup winger Jefferson Montero is being eyed to join the Senegal
midfielder and the Argentine striker at Upton Park
The Mirror
Sam Allardyce wants another FOUR signings after making £7million Anderlecht
star Cheikhou Kouyate West Ham's second capture of the summer. The powerful
24-year-old – capped five times for Senegal – has signed a four-year deal
at Upton Park, with a two-year option. The Hammers beat off competition from
Spanish club Valencia to land the midfielder, who can also play in central
defence. Kouyate's signing follows that of Argentine striker Mauro Zarate
late last month. "I am very happy to join such a club as West Ham," said
Kouyate, who will link up with Mo Diame in midfield. "That I'm here now is
thanks to the manager, because he went out of his way, leaving his holiday
for me, so he has done everything he could for me to join the club." Also in
West Ham's sights is Ecuadorian winger Jefferson Montero. The 24-year-old,
who is playing at the World Cup, is looking to move from Mexican club
Monarcas.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce wants four more signings after £7million move
for Chiekou Kouyate
Jun 18, 2014 13:44 By Darren Lewis
The Hammers boss has his eye on a big summer of strengthening as he looks
towards the top 10 next season
The Mirror
Sam Allardyce wants another four signings after making £7million Anderlecht
star Cheikou Kouyate his second capture of the summer. The powerful
24-year-old - capped five times for Senegal - has signed a four-year deal at
Upton Park with a two year option. West Ham have beaten off competition from
Spanish club Valencia to land the midfielder who can also play in central
defence. Kouyate, who had a medical on Tuesday, has made 145 appearances for
Anderlecht in the Belgian league after signing from Brussels in 2008. "I am
very happy, because today West Ham have given me the chance to play in the
Premier League," explained Kouyate. "So I'm very happy to join such a club
and that gives me great pleasure. "I know a few players who were also at the
club, [Carlos] Tevez, Demba [Ba], Andy Carroll, who was obviously here last
season. West Ham are a team who are known and who are going to help me to
progress. For my part, I'm going to try to do great things here and try to
improve further still as a player. "That I'm here now is thanks to the
manager, because he went out of his way, leaving his holiday for me, so he
has done everything he could for me to join the club. "He, my advisers and
agents helped me make the right decision and said West Ham was the ideal
club for me, because as a kid I dreamed of playing in the Premier League and
now it's here that my dream has been realised." He is now set to form a
formidable partnership in central midfield with Mohamed Diame for the
Hammers. Also in West Ham's sights is Ecuadorian winger Jefferson Montero.
The speedy left-winger, 24, is currently playing for his country at the
World Cup. Although he has impressed for Monarcas in Mexico, Montero - whose
contract expires next summer - is keen to move to the Premier League.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham linked with 35-goal Argentine striker - Three questions
HITC
West Ham are said to be weighing up a bid for Catania forward Gonzalo
Bergessio as the club's transfer market campaign hits top gear. The Hammers
have already wrapped up the signings of striker Mauro Zarate from Velez
Sarsfield and versatile midfielder Cheikou Kouyate from Anderlecht. Manager
Sam Allardyce is said to want four other new additions on top of the pair,
and so it looks as if the London outfit will continue to be active over the
course of the summer. Catania's Gonzalo Bergessio is the latest man linked
with an Upton Park switch, with TuttoMercatoWeb claiming contact has been
made with the Argentine. Following are three questions posed by West Ham's
reported interest in securing Bergessio's services.
What can he offer the Hammers?
Bergessio primarily has played centrally in a trident attack during his
three plus years at Catania, flanked by pacy wingers such as Pablo
Barrientos and Alejandro Gomez. Though the Argentine is solid with the ball
at his feet, he's most comfortable receiving the ball in the penalty area
and turning to pick his spot with a shot on goal. Despite his relatively
modest stature - 5 foot 10 - Bergessio has a good leap and can also be a
threat in the air with adequate service from wide areas. For the past two
seasons the 29-year-old has finished as Catania's top scorer in Serie A,
having netted 35 goals in 109 career appearances in the Italian top flight.
Would his signing signal a change in Sam Allardyce's tactics?
Allardyce has reportedly been pressured by the West Ham hierarchy to adjust
his typically direct style of play and offer a more entertaining brand of
football next term. The capture of the tricky Zarate seemed to be an effort
to move the side in this direction, but it's debatable if signing Bergessio
would also be a move in this direction. It's possible that the Argentine
would be used as a direct back up for Andy Carroll, with Zarate playing a
more creative role in the side.
Injuries decimated West Ham's attacking ranks for long periods last season,
and Allardyce will be determined to have adequate cover this time around to
avoid a similar situation.
How much would Bergessio cost?
Catania's calamitous relegation from Serie A means the club will need to
sell several of their best players this summer, with Bergessio a likely
candidate to leave. The Argentine is valued at £5 million by Transfermarkt,
but it's likely the Sicilian outfit would accept an offer closer to £3
million given their precarious financial position at the moment. Bergessio's
salary at the Stadio Angelo Massimino is reportedly in the region of £10,000
per week, so signing him wouldn't have a drastic impact on West Ham's wage
bill.
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Alonso deal may hit Irons wage hitch
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 18, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham are hoping they can organise a sensible wage deal with Spanish left
back Marcos Alonso as they bid to solve their problem position. The cash
conscious Hammers are keeping a tight grip on their wage bill but are ready
to discuss terms with the player. The board have regularly made it clear the
need to hold down their wage bill and that could scupper a deal for the
player who has now had spells at Bolton and on loan at Sunderland last
season. The Hammers have no problem with a £1.5 million fee and Alonso is
ready to quit Fiorentina for London. He enjoyed an impressive spell on loan
at Sunderland last season and is believed to be looking for a deal in the
region of £40k a week. A Hammers source told ClaretandHugh: "There's no
problem with the transfer fee but it's in the wages area that the problems
arise so it's all very much in the balance."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Anderlecht mark our cards: Kouyate for midfield!
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 18, 2014 in Whispers
Calret & Hugh
Hammers new boy Cheikhou Kouyaté has been bought as a powerful midfield
presence to play alongside Mark Noble. Billed as a central defender it seems
however, that Winston Reid, James Collins and James Tomkins shouldn't be in
fear of their places. ClaretandHugh has today been talking to Anderlecht
club sources who have told us that our £7 million has bought a guy who is
far better in the middle of the park than at the back. One said: "He's prone
to the odd defensive error but he can certainly play back there. However, in
the middle he's a seriously effective player. "We'd be surprised if he's not
used there primarily because I think it's reasonable to say that's where
he's really been at his best for Anderlecht." Another told us: "He was a
massive part of the team that won the Belgium Pro League last season
through the play offs where he scored his only goal of the season." The
signing appears to suggest that Mohamed Diame will be under real pressure
this season after complaining regularly to the media he wants a top four
club. Co-chairman David Gold – talking about the new signing to
ClaretandHugh – explained: "We have bought a very good player who can
perform in the middle and at the back. "Our policy is to get pressure in all
positions and in Cheikhou we have a very versatile performer at a brilliant
price."
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Sullivan exclusive: Top club came late for Kouyate
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 18, 2014 in Whispers
Claret * Hugh
West Ham supremo David Sullivan has admitted that late interest in the
club's £7 million signing Cheikhou Kouyaté had threatened to derail the
Irons big summer deal. Speaking exclusively to ClaretandHugh he declared:
"Another top club came in on Monday for the player, but I don't think its
right that we name the club." The club believed they had the player under
lock and key until then and were left clinging onto their hopes whilst the
European outfit negotiated with Kayoute's club Anderlecht. But eventually
the player's strength of character overcame the obstacles and Sullivan
revealed: "The main reason this deal was done was the player wanted to play
for us and held firm. "It was a very tough deal to complete. The price just
kept going up. It's been going on for three weeks."
Sullivan revealed that the player had first come to the club's attention
whilst manager Sam Allardyce had gone to watch a striker at an Anderlecht
match.
He said: "He went to watch a striker but this player caught his attention.
We then did a lot of research and we believe he has a good chance of being a
top player. "Now We expect to sign the or four more but it's all about who
is value for money.
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Hit, miss or maybe: West Ham's 2014-15 fixtures rated month by month
Wednesday 18 Jun 2014 6:18 pm
Metro.co.uk
West Ham's fixtures rated month by month
The World Cup in Brazil has served up an impressive diet of spicy exotic
fare so far (ok maybe not Iran v Nigeria) but fans will have had an extra
spring in their step on Wednesday morning at the thought of attention
returning to the meat and potatoes of domestic football. Next season's
fixtures are out – and for West Ham fans, they make for pretty good reading.
In a competition where everyone plays one another an equal number of times
(mercifully the absurd 39th game idea seems to have died a deserved death)
obviously there is no such thing as a good draw. The best you can hope for
is for an even spread of the toughest games – and that is what West Ham seem
to have.
August: Tottenham (H), Crystal Palace (A), Southampton (H).
Dust off your t-shirts, look who's back! The Tottenham three-peat was the
highlight of last season, with victory in the final home game over our
nearest and dearest securing Premier League survival. A repeat would be the
perfect start. HIT
September: Hull (A), Liverpool (H), Man Utd (A).
After a steady start, the Liverpool/United combo poses the first major
challenge. Louis van Gaal will ensure are United a completely different
prospect to last season. Could be nasty. MISS
October: QPR (H), Burnley (A), Man City (H).
The return of Harry Redknapp and West Ham Reunited will be eagerly
anticipated. Will Ravel Morrison feature – and who for? Anything taken off
City is an improvement on last season's horrors. MAYBE
November: Stoke (A), Aston Villa (H), Everton (A), Newcastle (H).
By now the season's shape should be clear, so this is a decent run to have
at this time, although the two away games are particularly difficult. MAYBE
December: West Brom (A), Swansea (H), Sunderland (A), Leicester (H), Chelsea
(A), Arsenal (H).
Enjoy the run-up to Christmas, as there could be a nasty hangover
afterwards. Two particularly hard derbies to end 2014. HIT/MISS
January: West Brom (H), Swansea (A), Hull (H), Liverpool (A).
January 2014 was the darkest point of a miserable season, but January 2015
looks better – although Cup matches could change all that. HIT
February: Man Utd (H), Southampton (A), Tottenham (A), Crystal Palace (H).
Liverpool and Manchester United back to back again. That could set things
back, but otherwise the opposition is not too scary. MAYBE
March: Chelsea (H), Arsenal (A), Sunderland (H).
Ouch. There had to be one duff month – this is it. Four points from this
would be a decent return. MISS
April: Leicester (A), Stoke (H), Man City (A), QPR (A).
After last season's horrors it is a relief to have to wait this long to
return to the Etihad Stadium. Otherwise, there are points for the taking.
HIT
May: Burnley (H), Aston Villa (A), Everton (H), Newcastle (A).
And we're done – again. A twist in the tail though, as Everton are always
stingy and Newcastle can be one of the most daunting places to visit in the
country. MAYBE
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Badge of convenience
Kumb.COM
Filed: Wednesday, 18th June 2014
By: Paul Walker
It's getting serious now. We are going to get a new badge, somehow, some
way, because that is clearly what our owners and board want.
Yes, I know we are being asked for our opinions and we are being told that
no change will take place without a strong consensus, but deep down--I am
sure you all agree--the times (and badge) are a'changing!
When the idea was first suggested, my initial gut reaction was to say 'no
way'. So much of our legacy is about to be changed by the move to Stratford,
so much history, that my initial feeling was to say 'just leave us alone'.
And that is sad, because there is such a cynical view these days about club
owners, not just ours, that we don't believe a word anyone says anymore,
instinctively. Modern society dictates that, I suppose; everyone is under
such scrutiny, so much of what we are told is doubted.
Sadly, the gulf between the fans and the owners is vast. In fact it is more
acrimonious than I can remember in all my years of following the Irons. Some
of the abuse that has flooded fans' sites since the consultation was
announced is seriously bitter and twisted.
While our board have clearly impressed on big Sam to make more of an effort
to get along with the us, maybe the board need to look at themselves as well
because their image could do with a make-over, too.
So, after dismissing the badge change idea out of hand I took a more
considered view, and I can certainly understand the need for a fresh
approach to broaden the appeal of the club. And after some interesting
research, frankly I cannot find any sort of badge that you could claim was
definitive.
It has been a badge of convenience for so long, changing with each kit
contract or cup final. And it has not changed significantly since 1999, with
most clubs regularly changing their badges to allow them to trademark them
and see off the fakers and forgers.
The badge has gone through a multitude of changes over the decades,
virtually everything has been tried, some with far less success than others.
The fuss from fans now seems to revolve around the retention of the Boleyn
castle, which to my mind has always looked like a cartoon or a Camelot theme
park logo. And as for the yellow (I know people say it is gold, but to me it
just looks yellow), where did that come from?
There is not a hint of yellow/gold anywhere in our history, right back to
the Thames Ironworks. And for the first half of the last century, there was
not a hint of any sort of castle in our badge.
The first castle in the badge I can find, dates back to the famed '64 and
'65 cup finals at Wembley, where a white castle appeared on the shirts for
the first time for the FA Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup triumphs. The
yellow/gold only came into use in the first Adidas era, starting around 1980
to '83, and then again from '85 to '87.
Even then the castle reverted to sky blue right up until 1995, and we have
had it ever since. Now this is just a personal view, but I hate yellow. It's
an insipid, weak, flimsy colour. I am tempted to say 'girlie' but you are
not allowed to say such things these days.
So if the yellow disappeared, along with the Camelot castle, I wouldn't be
that bothered. If the consultation came up with a decision to revert to a
strong image of crossed Hammers, blue, with a plain claret background, I'd
be happy with that. In fact, it would be more traditional to our history
than anything we have seen since 1995.
The Thames Ironworks badge, on a dark blue shirt,, was a Union Jack. Our
then founder Arnold Hills was a great patriot. And from the foundation of
West Ham United in 1900 to the first FA Cup Final season of 1923, there
wasn't a badge on our shirts.
For that final, a simple white crest had claret crossed hammers, and claret
trim. But that, too, disappeared until the 1950s. Even the 1940 War Cup
Final shirt had no badge on it.
It's amazing what you can find on YouTube when you start looking, and
there's some lovely footage of that final, when Sam Small scored the winner.
It reminded me of a time when I was working in Birmingham, that I sought out
Sammy--a born and bred Brummie--for a interview about that final. He was a
lovely, humble man who was amazed anyone still bothered about his day of
glory.
He passed away at 81 in 1993 a real Hammers hero, having scored the winner
in front of a 42,000 crowd at Wembley with a 6.30pm kick-off to avoid the
bombing. Mind you, TV makes us have a 6.15pm kick off these days for the Cup
Final, and there's not a hint of the Luftwaffe to be seen, just advertising
driven TV execs.
Anyway, back to the badges. From 1950 a blue square with claret hammers
appeared on our shirts. It became a shield in '52 and a square and a shield
in '54. Then from '58 to '60 we had the iconic V-necked shirt with blue
shield and crossed claret hammers that Bobby Moore first wore.
Up until '64 the square badge was worn, but after that flirtation with the
white castle again there was no badge from '67 to '75.. The white castle
re-appeared for the '75 Cup Final shirt, and then came the remarkable deep
V-yoke with claret strips for the ECWC Final defeat by Anderlecht in '76.
That shirt had a castle too.
The 1980 Cup Final shirt had a claret castle with thin sky blue crossed
hammers, and there was no further hint of a castle from then to '85.
Ok, so the point I am trying to make, somewhat long-windedly I accept, is
that the castle is not a significant image of our history in terms of the
club badge. The important stuff is the claret and blue, plus the crossed
hammers.
If you watch the club's on-line presentation about the badge consultation,
and gloss over all the guff about trying to prove they understand our
heritage and have someone doing the design who has been a season ticket
holder for 30 years, you get the sense that the club would like to have a
plain and simple badge with the club's name and London 1895 on it somewhere.
They make the point, again, that the club's name will not be changed (over
my dead body I hear you all say) and that must be the case because the boy
Jack in his little twerps, sorry tweets, says so!
Now the bit about incorporating London into the badge. That doesn't bother
me much as our new ground will be closer to the City than Arsenal, Spurs,
Chelsea, Crystal Palace, QPR or Fulham. And it would get right up the noses
of our rivals if we stole a march on them.
It reminded me of something Craig Bellamy said in his autobiography. Craig
can be a stroppy little so-and-so with some seriously dodgy mates, but he
never gave less than 110 per cent in a West Ham shirt.
He admitted that when he joined us he did not realise how big a club we
were, or the size of our fan base, and the fact that "West Ham is really
London's club". Exactly. The City skyline will be a stunning backdrop to our
new stadium, like it or not, and we are more to do with the essence of being
Londoners than those muppets from White Hart Lane.
Back in the old days, the docks went right to the walls of the Tower, and
West Ham were very much the club of the City.
So, having initially dismissed any change in a rather luddite approach, I am
prepared to see what the club come up with. Anything would be better than a
toytown yellow castle, with very, very dubious links to Anne Boleyn. In
fact, I believe she had lost her head before the place was even built.
What we must not do is lose our heads every time our wonderful owners come
up with a scheme for something or other. They may well be Del Boy, Rodney
and Torygirl, but they are not all bad... are they?
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WHUFC.com
Senegal international Cheikhou Kouyate has signed for the Hammers for an
undisclosed fee
18.06.2014
West Ham United are delighted to confirm the transfer of Anderlecht
midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate for an undisclosed fee. The 24-year-old Senegal
international arrives from the Belgian champions on a four-year deal and
becomes the Hammers' second new addition of the summer, following the
signing of Argentine striker Mauro Zarate. The Hammers had to fight off
strong competition from clubs across Europe to land the services of Kouyate,
who possesses extensive UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League
experience from his time at Anderlecht. Kouyate is thrilled to have
completed his move to the Hammers, as he exclusively told West Ham TV: "I am
very happy, because today West Ham have given me the chance to play in the
Premier League. So I'm very happy to join such a club and that gives me
great pleasure. "I know a few players who were also at the club, [Carlos]
Tevez, Demba [Ba], Andy Carroll, who was obviously here last season. West
Ham are a team who are known and who are going to help me to progress. For
my part, I'm going to try to do great things here and try to improve further
still as a player. "That I'm here now is thanks to the manager, because he
went out of his way, leaving his holiday for me, so he has done everything
he could for me to join the club. He, my advisers and agents helped me make
the right decision and said West Ham was the ideal club for me, because as a
kid I dreamed of playing in the Premier League and now it's here that my
dream has been realised."
Joint-Chairman David Sullivan has welcomed Kouyate to the Club and believes
his capture is a good indicator of the direction the Club is heading in. "I
am absolutely delighted to have clinched the signing of Cheikhou after weeks
of tough negotiations that saw us beat off the challenge of some huge clubs
across Europe for his signature," Mr Sullivan said. "He comes with vast
experience at the top level - including the Champions League - despite being
only 24 and I am sure he will add valuable competition to places. "We are
determined to have a better season this year and this signing is a statement
of the direction the Club is heading in. We hope to have at least four more
signings in place by the time we kick-off against Tottenham on 16 August as
we aim for at least a top-ten finish this season."
Born in Dakar, Senegal, Kouyate moved to Europe at the age of 15 when FC
Brussels took him into their Academy and the 6'4 central midfielder's
breakthrough came in the 2007/08 campaign when he made ten first team
appearances in the Belgian top flight. He earned a move to Anderlecht in the
summer of 2008, quickly becoming a mainstay in the starting line-up. A first
Belgian title arrived in the 2009/10 season, and he added to his medal
collection as Anderlecht claimed the crown for the last three campaigns. In
Europe, Kouyate played a full role as Anderlecht reached the knockout stages
of the UEFA Europa League in 2009/10, 2010/11 and 2011/12, and the group
phase of the UEFA Champions League for the last two seasons.
Internationally, Kouyate is a teammate of Senegal captain Mo Diame. He has
been capped eleven times and represented his country at the 2012 London
Olympic Games.
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Kouyate - 'It's a dream come true'
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's new signing Cheikhou Kouyate is thrilled to have joined
the Club
18.06.2014
Cheikhou Kouyate cannot wait to get stuck in to his new challenge at West
Ham United after completing his transfer from Belgian champions Anderlecht
on Wednesday. The 24-year-old midfielder arrives on a four-year deal and he
admitted that the lure of showcasing his talents in the Barclays Premier
League presented him with an unmissable opportunity. Kouyate, capped eleven
times by Senegal, won the Belgian title in four of his six seasons, and is
now looking forward to testing himself at his new Club. He told West Ham TV:
"That I'm here now is thanks to the manager, because he convinced me. He, my
advisers and agents helped me make the right decision and said West Ham was
the ideal club for me, because as a kid I dreamed of playing in the Premier
League and now it's here that my dream has been realised. "Sam wanted me to
sign, first and foremost. He went out of his way, leaving his holiday for
me, so he has done everything he could for me to join the Club. He said all
that he needed to so that I joined the Club. Kouyate describes himself as an
athletic midfielder, and although he filled in at the back on occasion for
Anderlecht, he sees himself slotting into the Hammers' engine room. He
explained: "I'm big, quick and athletic, so a box-to-box midfielder. I'm a
midfielder, so [when playing] as a defender, it was only to fill in. Now
I've come to West Ham as a defensive midfielder, so I don't want to be
thought of as a defender."
Dakar-born Kouyate is already well-versed on his new Club and is determined
to help push them onto greater heights in 2014/15. He added: "The aim is to
try to do better than last season. Anything's possible in football, so we
want to rub shoulders with the big boys and really push them. "We mustn't
forget that a lot of work lies ahead, but I've come to bring all that I have
and to try to have a good season."
Kouyate represented his country at the 2012 London Olympic Games so has
already visited the Hammers' new home, and he cannot wait to step out on the
pitch there again. "I was there with the national team of Senegal for the
Olympic Games," he recalled. "It's fantastic that they're now going to make
it a football stadium. It's a good project, it shows that the Club is
ambitious and it bodes well for the future. "London's a great city and
West Ham is the Club that has allowed me to come to the Premier League. That
was my dream, my dream was to play in the Premier League. Now I have that
opportunity to show what I can do, to wear the colours of West Ham and I'm
honoured. "I'll see the supporters in a few weeks. I know they'll be there
in their numbers and the rest will unfold on the pitch!"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Joint-Chairmen excited by opener
WHUFc.com
Joint-Chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold react to West Ham United's
2014/15 fixture list
18.06.2014
Joint-Chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold's excitement for the new season
has gone up another notch after the Barclays Premier League fixture list
presented a mouthwatering set of opening matches. The lifelong Hammers fans
will see their side kick-off with back-to-back London derbies, starting with
Tottenham Hotspur at home followed by a trip to last season's surprise
package, Crystal Palace. The next four home games cover the visits to the
Boleyn Ground of Southampton, Liverpool, Harry Redknapp's Queen's Park
Rangers and champions Manchester City, which all promise sell-out crowds and
electric atmospheres. "It is a tremendously exciting start to the new
season, with three of the first five home games against top-six sides from
last season," Joint-Chairman David Sullivan said. "Although they will
obviously not be easy, it probably isn't a bad time to be playing them as
some of their players might still have a World Cup hangover. Our squad
should be refreshed and recharged after a thorough pre-season so I'm
optimistic we can get off to a good start. The Hammers famously recorded
three consecutive victories against Spurs last season and will be presented
with the earliest possible chance to make it four on the spin on when they
travel to east London on 16 August. The north Londoners will have a new
manager in Mauricio Pochettino in the dugout and Mr Sullivan believes that
could also help the Hammers. "The three victories against Spurs were
undoubtedly the highlight of last season and I'm really pleased we've been
handed another fixture with them so early this season. "They will obviously
be fired up for the game after what happened last season and you can never
be sure how a team with a new manager in charge will start. It could be that
it takes some time for his new ideas to embed themselves in the team so
we've got to try to take advantage of any uncertainty they may have. "For
our part, we are aiming to have at least four more new signings in place by
that game so I am sure we will be an even tougher opponent for them than
last season."
The Hammers overcame Tottenham on the opening day of the 1999 season and
Joint-Chairman David Gold, feels there is no reason Sam Allardyce's side
cannot repeat that feat this time around. He said: "Despite us being in the
midst of the World Cup, the fixture list brings your thoughts back to the
Premier League. "Tottenham at home is an amazing first fixture. It'll be a
full house at the Boleyn Ground and I couldn't think of a better way to
kick-off the new season than playing Spurs at home."
Mr Gold also shares the same optimism about what the 2014/15 season could
bring West Ham United. With one high-profile signing of Mauro Zarate already
in the bag and more set to follow, the Joint-Chairman is looking forward to
seeing what the new signings can add to the squad. "The first game is always
exciting as it'll be the first time we can see our new faces in competitive
action. We'll undoubtedly have a stronger squad than last season, with the
exciting signing of Zarate along with another major signing we're hoping to
announce shortly. "We've looked at what went wrong last season and we've
acted upon it and with everyone fit and firing for the first game I'm
confident we've got a great season to look forward to."
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Spurs at home first up for Hammers
WHUFc.com
West Ham United's fixtures for the 2014/15 season have been released
18.06.2014
West Ham United will kick-off the 2014/15 Barclays Premier League season
with a mouthwatering home London derby with Tottenham Hotspur. Fresh from
defeating the north Londoners three times in the 2013/14 season, Sam
Allardyce's side will start the new campaign by welcoming Mauricio
Pochettino's side to the Boleyn Ground on Saturday 16 August. The Hammers'
first away game will follow with a trip to Crystal Palace on Saturday 23
August before returning home on Saturday 30 August to play Southampton. Big
Sam's men will wrap up league matters on Sunday 24 May 2015, when they make
the long trek to Newcastle United. The Hammers take on reigning Barclays
Premier League champions Manchester City on Saturday 25 October (home) and
Saturday 18 April (away), while they host runners-up Liverpool on Saturday
September 20. The return match at Tottenham Hotspur will take place on
Saturday 21 February, while Jose Mourinho's Chelsea will form the Boxing Day
opposition at Stamford Bridge, while they visit E13 on Tuesday 3 March.
Premier League new boys Queens Park Rangers visit the Boleyn Ground on
Saturday 4 October, while the Hammers travel to Leicester City on Saturday 4
April and Burnley on Saturday 18 April. After Chelsea on Boxing Day, the
other traditional Christmas and New Year fixtures will see the Hammers face
Arsenal at home on Sunday 28 December and West Bromwich Albion at home on
New Year's Day. West Ham are one of 13 Barclays Premier League clubs who
will enter the Capital One Cup at the second round stage, with ties
scheduled to be played in the week commencing Monday 25 August. Please note
that all fixtures are subject to change, with broadcast selections through
to November due to be confirmed by Friday 4 July. All fixtures against teams
competing in the Europa League are subject to movement from Saturday to
Sunday, should they be playing on the preceding Thursday
Full list of fixtures (all subject to change)
Sat Aug 16 Tottenham Hotspur H
Sat Aug 23 Crystal Palace A
Sat Aug 30 Southampton H
Sat Sep 13 Hull City A
Sat Sep 20 Liverpool H
Sat Sep 27 Manchester United A
Sat Oct 4 Queens Park Rangers H
Sat Oct 18 Burnley A
Sat Oct 25 Manchester City H
Sat Nov 1 Stoke City A
Sat Nov 8 Aston Villa H
Sat Nov 22 Everton A
Sat Nov 29 Newcastle United H
Tue Dec 2 West Bromwich Albion A
Sat Dec 6 Swansea City H
Sat Dec 13 Sunderland A
Sat Dec 20 Leicester City H
Fri Dec 26 Chelsea A
Sun Dec 28 Arsenal H
Thu Jan 1 West Bromwich Albion H
Sat Jan 10 Swansea City A
Sat Jan 17 Hull City H
Sat Jan 31 Liverpool A
Sat Feb 7 Manchester United H
Tue Feb 10 Southampton A
Sat Feb 21 Tottenham Hotspur A
Sat Feb 28 Crystal Palace H
Tue Mar 3 Chelsea H
Sat Mar 14 Arsenal A
Sat Mar 21 Sunderland H
Sat Apr 4 Leicester City A
Sat Apr 11 Stoke City H
Sat Apr 18 Manchester City A
Sat Apr 25 Queens Park Rangers A
Sat May 2 Burnley H
Sat May 9 Aston Villa A
Sat May 16 Everton H
Sun May 24 Newcastle United A
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham: Cheikhou Kouyate joins from Anderlecht
BBC.co.uk
West Ham United have completed the signing of Senegalese midfielder Cheikhou
Kouyate on a four-year deal from Anderlecht. Kouyate, capped 11 times by
Senegal, moves to Upton Park for an undisclosed fee. He helped Anderlecht
win four league titles after joining them in 2008. "I am very happy because
today West Ham have given me the chance to play in the Premier League," said
the 24-year-old. "For my part, I'm going to try to do great things here and
try to improve further still as a player." Kouyate, who played for Senegal
against Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics, can also play in defence.
West Ham joint-chairman David Sullivan told the club website: "We hope to
have at least four more signings in place by the time we kick off against
Tottenham on 16 August as we aim for at least a top-10 finish." Kouyate is
the Hammers' second new addition of the summer, following Argentine striker
Mauro Zarate.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Senegal midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate signs for West Ham
BBC.co.uk
West Ham have completed the signing of Senegal midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate.
The 24-year-old joins from the Belgian champions Anderlecht on a four-year
deal for an undisclosed fee. "West Ham have given me the chance to play in
the Premier League, I am very happy. To join such a club gives me great
pleasure," he told West Ham TV. Kouyate played for Senegal at the London
2012 Olympics, coming on as a substitute against Great Britain in the 1-1
draw at Old Trafford. He has also won five full international caps and joins
the Hammers off the back of a season where he played 44 matches for
Anderlecht, including six Champions League appearances, and helped the club
secure a third consecutive Belgian title. Koutaye revealed he is eager to
step up to a new challenge and follow in the footsteps of players he
admires. "I know a few players who were also at the club - Carlos Tevez,
Demba Ba, Andy Carroll, who was obviously here last season. West Ham are a
team who are known and ho are going to help me to progress," he said. "For
my part, I am going to try to do great things here and try to improve
further still as a player. "That I am here now is thanks to the manager,
because he went out of his way, leaving his holiday for me, so he has done
everything he could for me to join the club. "He, my advisers and agents
helped me make the right decision and said West Ham was the ideal club for
me, because as a kid I dreamed of playing in the Premier League and now it
is here that my dream has been realised."
Kouate's arrival follows that of Argentina striker Mauro Zarate, who joined
on a three-year contract from Velez Sarsfield at the end of May. And West
Ham co-chairman David Sullivan revealed more additions are likely. "We hope
to have at least four more signings in place by the time we kick-off against
Tottenham on 16 August as we aim for at least a top-10 finish this season,"
he said.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cheikhou Kouyate joins West Ham on four-year deal from Anderlecht
Last Updated: 18/06/14 1:38pm
SSN
West Ham have completed the signing of midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate from
Anderlecht on a four-year deal. The Senegal international joins for an
undisclosed fee and becomes the club's second summer signing following the
recent arrival of Argentine striker Mauro Zarate. A number of clubs were
thought to be tracking the 24-year-old, but he was impressed with the
perseverance of Sam Allardyce, who cut short his holiday to complete the
deal. Kouyate, who has played in the Champions League with the Belgian
champions, told the club's official website: "I am very happy, because today
West Ham have given me the chance to play in the Premier League. So I'm very
happy to join such a club and that gives me great pleasure. "That I'm here
now is thanks to the manager, because he went out of his way, leaving his
holiday for me, so he has done everything he could for me to join the club."
"I know a few players who were also at the club, [Carlos] Tevez, Demba [Ba],
Andy Carroll, who was obviously here last season. "West Ham are a team who
are known and who are going to help me to progress. For my part, I'm going
to try to do great things here and try to improve further still as a player.
"That I'm here now is thanks to the manager, because he went out of his way,
leaving his holiday for me, so he has done everything he could for me to
join the club. "He, my advisers and agents helped me make the right decision
and said West Ham was the ideal club for me, because as a kid I dreamed of
playing in the Premier League and now it's here that my dream has been
realised."
Joint-chairman David Sullivan believes this latest arrival proves the club
are serious about launching an assault on the top half of the Premier League
after the struggles of last season. He hopes for at least four more recruits
during the summer before the opening game against Tottenham at Upton Park.
"I am absolutely delighted to have clinched the signing of Cheikhou after
weeks of tough negotiations that saw us beat off the challenge of some huge
clubs across Europe for his signature," said Sullivan. "He comes with vast
experience at the top level - including the Champions League - despite being
only 24 and I am sure he will add valuable competition to places. "We are
determined to have a better season this year and this signing is a statement
of the direction the club is heading in. "We hope to have at least four more
signings in place by the time we kick-off against Tottenham on 16 August as
we aim for at least a top-ten finish this season."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham must aim for top-six finish, says co-owner David Sullivan
Last Updated: 18/06/14 12:15pm
SSN
David Sullivan insists breaking into the Premier League top six must be West
Ham's ambition and believes the appointment of Teddy Sheringham is a signal
of their intent. After last season saw manager Sam Allardyce come in for
criticism over the team's style of play, West Ham have recruited former
striker Sheringham in a bid to provide the attacking brand of football the
Upton Park faithful crave. Hammers fans were dismayed by Allardyce's
tactical approach but despite the unrest, Sullivan, co-owner David Gold and
vice-chairman Karren Brady opted to back their manager. Sullivan believes
offering such support to Allardyce quashes suggestions the club are dictated
to by opinions from the terraces. "I don't think we have undermined Sam at
all. We've been very honest with him. He is in the last year of his contract
and he knows we have to have a better performance because the fans won't
stand for it otherwise." "It's quite the opposite," he told the Daily
Mirror. "They voted 80-20 per cent to sack the manager. We didn't sack the
manager." West Ham get their 2014/15 campaign underway on August 16 as
London rivals Tottenham visit Upton Park and Sullivan admits the fans are
right to be ambitious.
Not acceptable
"You can't just look to stay up," he said. "It is not acceptable to our
supporters to say, 'We've survived. We've had a very good campaign'. "We are
not Norwich. We are not Fulham. We are not Reading. We are West Ham United.
"Our supporters are realistic. They know it is a huge and difficult task to
break into the top six. But we must be aiming for that, even if we don't
achieve it." Sullivan believes the addition of former England forward
Sheringham to the coaching staff will prove influential, but denies
suggestions the appointment undermined Allardyce. "We had a lot of people
approach us to become our attacking coach and Sam picked the one he wanted,"
he added. "Yes, we suggested the idea, but Sam liked it. "We didn't
undermine him at all. I think he has analysed the performance of the team
last year and agreed that we would like to score more goals. It was a
weakness of the team and he has brought in an expert to try and improve
that. "Teddy has played at the highest level. If you combine his game
intelligence with the level he has played at, I do not believe that he won't
improve our attacking ideas, whether it is the way we take our corners, our
free-kicks, or just our overall strategy. "I believe we will be a better
team for having him as part of our management set-up."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Leyton Orient warn rivals off Moses Odubajo
Last Updated: 18/06/14 12:10pm
SSN
Barry Hearn has warned those monitoring Moses Odubajo that it will require
'a king's ransom' to lure him away from Leyton Orient. The 20-year-old
winger is a product of Orient's academy system and they have carefully
nurtured him into a first-team star following loan spells at St Albans,
Sutton United and Bishops Stortford earlier in his career. The youngster has
been handed a senior stage on which to shine in the last two seasons, and
has offered a sizeable return on that show of faith. The 2013/14 campaign
saw him score 12 times in all competitions, including a spectacular strike
in the League One play-off final defeat to Rotherham United. His efforts
have not gone unnoticed, with Premier League interest reported to have been
sparked. Tottenham Hotspur reportedly enquired as to Odubajo's availability
in January, and remain keen, while West Ham United are also claimed to be
plotting a raid on their capital rivals. Orient have no intention of
selling, though, with Hearn eager to ensure that a successful side is not
allowed to be broken up by the poaching of top talent. He said in The Sun:
"Moses is the best player to come out of Orient in generations. "It would
take a king's ransom to get him out of the club."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
NEW SIGNING STATS: CHEIKHOU KOUYATÉ
By Tom Aldworth 18 Jun 2014 at 19:21
West Ham Till I Die
Cheikhou Kouyaté
DOB: 21/12/1989
Age: 24
Position: Defender/Midfielder
Previous Club: R.S.C. Anderlecht
Previous Division: Belgian Jupiler League
Transfer Date: 18/06/2014
Reported Fee: £7.2m
Analysis
In a move that feels like it's rumbled on for eternity, Cheikhou Kouyaté has
finally completed his move to West Ham United from R.S.C. Anderlecht. The
highly rated Senegal defender/midfielder joins for a reported fee of around
£7.2m, and is the clubs second signing after the arrival of Mauro Zárate at
the end of May.
So what do we know about the new arrival? A quick google search will tell
you that both Arsenal and Liverpool were linked with the 24 year old just a
few months back, and we know that Valencia were interested too. By all
accounts, this is a bit of a coup for the Irons.
Head to West Ham United Stats for my full analysis of the new man, including
a comparison with his new team mates, and a look at some of his strengths .
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WILL THE POLICY TOWARDS OUR YOUNGSTERS CHANGE NEXT SEASON?
By S J Chandos 18 Jun 2014 at 13:00
West Ham Till I Die
I think it is fair to say that it has not been a great recent period in the
illustrious history of West Ham's Academy. The legendary production line
seems to have developed a mechanical fault of late. But is this down to the
quality of our recent crops of youngsters or is it also related to a deficit
of belief in the value of promoting youth?
We have recently seen Jordan Spence's failure to make the grade at the club
and that followed the departure of such formerly rated prospects as Sears,
Hines and Stanislas. Maybe recent crops of talent have not excelled like Rio
Ferdinand, Joe Cole and Micheal Carrick, but did they get anything like the
opportunities that those famous Academy graduates enjoyed? And would
Ferdinand and co have become the same players without those early first team
opportunities?
It is all very well issuing blanket verdicts that: they are just not good
enough, if they were they would be playing! Of course they have to reach a
certain standard to get in the first team frame. The question is whether,
having attained the required standard, they are then getting a 'fair crack
of the whip.' Few prospects, if any, emerge from the youth/Development Squad
100% equipped for first team football. I remember Joe Cole's first team
debut and, although bursting with tricks and neats touches, he still had a
considerable way to go before becoming anything like the finished article.
And he progressed by playing regularly in the first team, not by
disappearing back in to the youth/reserve team. Similiarly, both Rio
Ferdinand and Frank Lampard Jnr developed their game in the first team, not
out on loan nor in the reserves. Again, both had some areas for improvement
and they worked on their game week in/week out alongside seasoned
professionals. A major difference is that the club in that era seemed to
accept that first team opportunities were both a learning curve and key to
the ongoing development of young players. But it seems that today, in the
present high stakes world of Premier League football, it is far too risky to
play 'kids.' If that is so, what does that say about what English football
is becoming and, indeed, where it is going. Moreover, what does it mean for
the future of West Ham's famous Academy?
Putting youngsters out on loan can be an important part of their
development. But they must be the correct loan deals, which actively support
their learning and development. To me, it seems that many are put out in the
vague hope that the experience might result in something 'clicking' for the
players in question. Is it likely that a youngster will return from a month
on loan, to say non-league Luton Town, suddenly transformed and ready to
challenge for a first team place? Of course not. Too many recent youngsters
have stalled in their development, as they have stagnated in the U-21 squad
and/or moved from one aimless loan deal to another. All of which has
resulted in fustrated potential, the exit door and an eventual lower league
move to the likes of Colchester or Dagenham & Redbridge. This is a
depressing pattern that has become all too familiar in recent seasons.
You can constantly deploy the: they are not ready/done enough to impress
argument. But the fact is we currently have a group of three youngsters who
are close to making a break through. All three have had at least a taste of
first team football and would surely benefit from further exposure. Those
youngsters are Potts, Chambers, and Elliott Lee. Next season, will they be a
part of the first team squad, train at that level and be used (at least
sparingly) from the bench? Or will they be put out on perpetual loan and/or
stagnate in the Development Squad? They are at a stage where they need to be
tested and learn alongside first team regulars. Yes, there is a element of
risk, but when has there never been risk attached to playing youngsters. The
important thing is to manage it. rather than becoming totally risk adverse.
That's why Ted Fenton consulted with his Captain, Noel Cantwell, before
selecting Bobby Moore for the home match Vs Man Utd in 1958-59. And please
do not tell me that the inclusion of Moore was 'risk free' at that very
early stage of his career. You only have to look at Moore's next game Vs
Notts Forrest to see that he did not have a completely smooth transition to
first team football. But he got his chance, learnt, progressed and realised
his exceptional potential with the help of experienced defenders like John
Bond and Noel Cantwell. It is the same story with Geoff Hurst. It has to be
acknowledged that (apart from Ron Greenwood) the single biggest influence on
Hurst's development as a striker was Johnny Byrne. Hurst learnt many of the
more sophisticated tools of the striker's trade from the 'English Di
Stefano' and it was key in his subsequent development in to a world class
centre forward.
So, the contention is that youngsters need planned first team exposure and
benefit from the guidance of experienced professionals. Is that currently
happening at West Ham? As an outside observer, I am not convinced that it
is. Indeed, nothing could be further removed from it than the 'sacrifice of
the lambs' horror show that we witnessed last season at Notts Forrest. There
has been much talk of changing our style of play next season. But will there
also be a change of policy next season towards our youngsters? Will Potts,
Chambers and Lee (and perhaps others) get more first team exposure as a
result? Because at the end of the day, the fate of this talented trio next
season could well be an indicator of the future of the Academy as a whole.
Obviously, the club need to operate successfully in the transfer market and
bring quality players to the club. There is no bone of contention there. But
ideally that should be but half of the strategy. The other half, at a club
of West Ham's proud traditions, should be about producing and bringing
through our own talent. And there needs to be a successful synthesis, where
the youngsters thrive by training, playing alongside and learning from high
quality acquisitions. Much as the likes of Joe Cole once learnt from players
of the quality of Eyal Berkavic and Paolo Di Canio. Arguably that is the
trick for West Ham going forward, to get that synthesis right. That is the
challenge and the balance that must be struck. The future of the Academy and
this crucial aspect of the club's identity/heritage may well depend on it.
ps. It appears that West Ham do have an outstanding Rio Ferdinand type
starlet coming through its Academy ranks. He name is Reece Oxford, a 15 year
old, 6ft 3 inch, ball playing centre back, who played for the U-18s last
season and has allegedly already trained with the first team. And it has
been suggested that Oxford is so highly thought of that his development
could be further fast tracked next season. Could this be an example of
exactly what I have argued for in the above article. Possibly, yes, perhaps
the club's recent conservatism on blooding youngsters will be thrown aside
in the face of Oxford's outstanding promise and he will break through in to
the first team within a season or two. The problem is that such is his
reputation that both Arsenal and Chelsea are allegedly seeking to steal the
youngster from West Ham's grasp. Will they succeed? Possibly not, but our
recent declining record on youth development may not help our cause.
Hopefully, the saving grace will be that Oxford will realise that he still
has a better over all chance of progressing at West Ham. But that is
probably not nearly as clear cut as it once was. So, it is important that we
value the Academy and continue our long standing reputation for positively
and genuinely promoting youth development. A line in the sand needs to be
drawn on this issue, in addition to the others addressed just recently.
SJ. Chandos.
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REPORTS EMERGE THAT ALONSO IS TO ARRIVE IN A £1.5M DEAL, AS THE PL FIXTURES
ARE ANNOUNCED AT 9AM TODAY!
By S J Chandos 18 Jun 2014 at 07:30
West Ham Till I Die
We know that West Ham have prioritised left-back as a key position that
requires addressing in the summer transfer window. There have been reports
that the club have been holding concurrent talks with up to four possible
left-back targets. The best known of these is Norwich City's Martin Olsson.
However, latterly, another name has come in to the frame, Fiorentina's
Marcos Alonso. West Ham will recall Alonso on loan at Sunderland last season
and him turning in some useful performances. The Black Cats are seeking a
permanent deal for the player, but it appears West Ham could be looking to
guzump them.
Indeed, the Mirror Sports are reporting that the Hammers are close to
agreeing a bargain £1.5m deal for Alonso's services, which represents very
good value for money. It appears negotations with the player may be at an
advanced stage and, all things being equal, a deal could be concluded sooner
rather than later. It has been suggested that West Ham switched their
attentions to Alonso after being priced out of a deal for Nice's Timothee
Kolodziejczak.
The Sports Mirror's Darren Lewis has also published an interview with David
Sullivan. In it, our co-owner confirms that Sam Allardyce was fully
supportive of the idea of appointing an attacking coach and Teddy Sheringham
was the manager's choice; that a club like West Ham must have higher
ambitions than just staying up and Hammers fans expect a concerted effort to
break in to the top six, even if they do not actually achieve it next
season; and Sam Allardyce knows that improvement is needed on the last
campaign and the Hammers fans will not stand for a repeat. Finally, Mr
Sullivan refutes the suggestion that the board are being overly dictated to
by fans opinion. In fact, in response and by way of a rebuttal, he makes the
point that the fans voted by c.80% to 20% in a poll to sack the manager, but
the board chose not go down that road.
The club have not yet announced the deal officially, but a number of sources
are reporting that the club have sealed a deal for Anderlecht's Chiekou
Kouyate on a 4 year contract. The reports state that West Ham beat off
competition from a couple of Spanish clubs (thought to be Valencia and
Seville) to secure the player for a fee of c£7m. If true, and there are
conflicting views on this, it is excellent news for the club. The Senegal
international is a towering 6ft 4 inch dynamo, who can operate both at
centre-back and as a defensive midfielder. I personally hope that he gets
the chance to play as a defensive midfielder, alongside Mark Noble. Whilst
fans naturally respond best to the signing of players with silky, creative
attacking skills, others who are powerful, industrious and facilitate the
attacking play are equally as important within a team context. Think of
players like Neill Orr in the 1985-86 team, who oiled the wheels of the
team, won the ball and created the space for the Devonshires, Dickens,
Cottees and McAvennies to attack the opposition. In that, and other key
respects (he is a good passer of the ball and keeps possession well),
Kouyate can be a major player for West Ham and a great addition for next
season. Yes, fans are probably still looking to add another flair player or
two, but that is no reason to under-value the significance of this deal. In
fact, Kouyate can compliment those type of players and help them to maximise
their performance.
Talking of players who are on the more creative end of the playing spectrum,
it has been reported by some sources that West Ham might make a move for
Newcastle Utd's midfielder, Hatem Ben Arfa. Ben Arfa is thought to be
unhappy at St James Park and nurtures ambitions to move to another Premier
League side. He could even be available for a £5m fee, which is good value
for money in the current market. However, there is likely to be fierce
competition for his signature, with Spurs, Everton, Monaco and Dortmund all
supposedly with an active interest in acquiring the player. On the subject
of the bar codes, it appears that Alan Pardew is in talks to sign Hertha
Berlin striker, Pierre-Michel Lassoga in a c.7m deal. Lassoga spent last
season on loan at Hamburg and was prolific, scoring 13 goals in 20 matches.
At 22 years of age, he seems a good prospect, although he did have some
persistant injury problems earlier in his career. West Ham were linked with
him at one point, and if they are still interested they need to get a move
on, because Newcastle utd appear to have stole a march in signing him.
While the attention is naturally on incoming deals, there are some key
players who entering the final year of existing contracts. This includes
Winston Reid, Ravel Morrison and Mo Diame. The outcome of negotiations will
be of equal interest to Hammers fans. Surely some progress/outcomes will be
reported soon?
Finally, the 2014-15 Premier League fixtures are due to be announced at 9am
today. The rumour is that we have drawn an opening, away day, fixture at
Hull City. We will see soon enough whether that is true. What other key
fixtures are fans looking out for? How kindly or otherwise will the fixtures
treat us in the various phases of the forthcoming season? All will be duly
revealed this morning!
SJ. Chandos.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham transfer plan is FOUR more signings on top of newcomers Kouyate and
Zarate
Jun 18, 2014 20:15 By Darren Lewis
Ecuador World Cup winger Jefferson Montero is being eyed to join the Senegal
midfielder and the Argentine striker at Upton Park
The Mirror
Sam Allardyce wants another FOUR signings after making £7million Anderlecht
star Cheikhou Kouyate West Ham's second capture of the summer. The powerful
24-year-old – capped five times for Senegal – has signed a four-year deal
at Upton Park, with a two-year option. The Hammers beat off competition from
Spanish club Valencia to land the midfielder, who can also play in central
defence. Kouyate's signing follows that of Argentine striker Mauro Zarate
late last month. "I am very happy to join such a club as West Ham," said
Kouyate, who will link up with Mo Diame in midfield. "That I'm here now is
thanks to the manager, because he went out of his way, leaving his holiday
for me, so he has done everything he could for me to join the club." Also in
West Ham's sights is Ecuadorian winger Jefferson Montero. The 24-year-old,
who is playing at the World Cup, is looking to move from Mexican club
Monarcas.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce wants four more signings after £7million move
for Chiekou Kouyate
Jun 18, 2014 13:44 By Darren Lewis
The Hammers boss has his eye on a big summer of strengthening as he looks
towards the top 10 next season
The Mirror
Sam Allardyce wants another four signings after making £7million Anderlecht
star Cheikou Kouyate his second capture of the summer. The powerful
24-year-old - capped five times for Senegal - has signed a four-year deal at
Upton Park with a two year option. West Ham have beaten off competition from
Spanish club Valencia to land the midfielder who can also play in central
defence. Kouyate, who had a medical on Tuesday, has made 145 appearances for
Anderlecht in the Belgian league after signing from Brussels in 2008. "I am
very happy, because today West Ham have given me the chance to play in the
Premier League," explained Kouyate. "So I'm very happy to join such a club
and that gives me great pleasure. "I know a few players who were also at the
club, [Carlos] Tevez, Demba [Ba], Andy Carroll, who was obviously here last
season. West Ham are a team who are known and who are going to help me to
progress. For my part, I'm going to try to do great things here and try to
improve further still as a player. "That I'm here now is thanks to the
manager, because he went out of his way, leaving his holiday for me, so he
has done everything he could for me to join the club. "He, my advisers and
agents helped me make the right decision and said West Ham was the ideal
club for me, because as a kid I dreamed of playing in the Premier League and
now it's here that my dream has been realised." He is now set to form a
formidable partnership in central midfield with Mohamed Diame for the
Hammers. Also in West Ham's sights is Ecuadorian winger Jefferson Montero.
The speedy left-winger, 24, is currently playing for his country at the
World Cup. Although he has impressed for Monarcas in Mexico, Montero - whose
contract expires next summer - is keen to move to the Premier League.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham linked with 35-goal Argentine striker - Three questions
HITC
West Ham are said to be weighing up a bid for Catania forward Gonzalo
Bergessio as the club's transfer market campaign hits top gear. The Hammers
have already wrapped up the signings of striker Mauro Zarate from Velez
Sarsfield and versatile midfielder Cheikou Kouyate from Anderlecht. Manager
Sam Allardyce is said to want four other new additions on top of the pair,
and so it looks as if the London outfit will continue to be active over the
course of the summer. Catania's Gonzalo Bergessio is the latest man linked
with an Upton Park switch, with TuttoMercatoWeb claiming contact has been
made with the Argentine. Following are three questions posed by West Ham's
reported interest in securing Bergessio's services.
What can he offer the Hammers?
Bergessio primarily has played centrally in a trident attack during his
three plus years at Catania, flanked by pacy wingers such as Pablo
Barrientos and Alejandro Gomez. Though the Argentine is solid with the ball
at his feet, he's most comfortable receiving the ball in the penalty area
and turning to pick his spot with a shot on goal. Despite his relatively
modest stature - 5 foot 10 - Bergessio has a good leap and can also be a
threat in the air with adequate service from wide areas. For the past two
seasons the 29-year-old has finished as Catania's top scorer in Serie A,
having netted 35 goals in 109 career appearances in the Italian top flight.
Would his signing signal a change in Sam Allardyce's tactics?
Allardyce has reportedly been pressured by the West Ham hierarchy to adjust
his typically direct style of play and offer a more entertaining brand of
football next term. The capture of the tricky Zarate seemed to be an effort
to move the side in this direction, but it's debatable if signing Bergessio
would also be a move in this direction. It's possible that the Argentine
would be used as a direct back up for Andy Carroll, with Zarate playing a
more creative role in the side.
Injuries decimated West Ham's attacking ranks for long periods last season,
and Allardyce will be determined to have adequate cover this time around to
avoid a similar situation.
How much would Bergessio cost?
Catania's calamitous relegation from Serie A means the club will need to
sell several of their best players this summer, with Bergessio a likely
candidate to leave. The Argentine is valued at £5 million by Transfermarkt,
but it's likely the Sicilian outfit would accept an offer closer to £3
million given their precarious financial position at the moment. Bergessio's
salary at the Stadio Angelo Massimino is reportedly in the region of £10,000
per week, so signing him wouldn't have a drastic impact on West Ham's wage
bill.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Alonso deal may hit Irons wage hitch
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 18, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham are hoping they can organise a sensible wage deal with Spanish left
back Marcos Alonso as they bid to solve their problem position. The cash
conscious Hammers are keeping a tight grip on their wage bill but are ready
to discuss terms with the player. The board have regularly made it clear the
need to hold down their wage bill and that could scupper a deal for the
player who has now had spells at Bolton and on loan at Sunderland last
season. The Hammers have no problem with a £1.5 million fee and Alonso is
ready to quit Fiorentina for London. He enjoyed an impressive spell on loan
at Sunderland last season and is believed to be looking for a deal in the
region of £40k a week. A Hammers source told ClaretandHugh: "There's no
problem with the transfer fee but it's in the wages area that the problems
arise so it's all very much in the balance."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Anderlecht mark our cards: Kouyate for midfield!
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 18, 2014 in Whispers
Calret & Hugh
Hammers new boy Cheikhou Kouyaté has been bought as a powerful midfield
presence to play alongside Mark Noble. Billed as a central defender it seems
however, that Winston Reid, James Collins and James Tomkins shouldn't be in
fear of their places. ClaretandHugh has today been talking to Anderlecht
club sources who have told us that our £7 million has bought a guy who is
far better in the middle of the park than at the back. One said: "He's prone
to the odd defensive error but he can certainly play back there. However, in
the middle he's a seriously effective player. "We'd be surprised if he's not
used there primarily because I think it's reasonable to say that's where
he's really been at his best for Anderlecht." Another told us: "He was a
massive part of the team that won the Belgium Pro League last season
through the play offs where he scored his only goal of the season." The
signing appears to suggest that Mohamed Diame will be under real pressure
this season after complaining regularly to the media he wants a top four
club. Co-chairman David Gold – talking about the new signing to
ClaretandHugh – explained: "We have bought a very good player who can
perform in the middle and at the back. "Our policy is to get pressure in all
positions and in Cheikhou we have a very versatile performer at a brilliant
price."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sullivan exclusive: Top club came late for Kouyate
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 18, 2014 in Whispers
Claret * Hugh
West Ham supremo David Sullivan has admitted that late interest in the
club's £7 million signing Cheikhou Kouyaté had threatened to derail the
Irons big summer deal. Speaking exclusively to ClaretandHugh he declared:
"Another top club came in on Monday for the player, but I don't think its
right that we name the club." The club believed they had the player under
lock and key until then and were left clinging onto their hopes whilst the
European outfit negotiated with Kayoute's club Anderlecht. But eventually
the player's strength of character overcame the obstacles and Sullivan
revealed: "The main reason this deal was done was the player wanted to play
for us and held firm. "It was a very tough deal to complete. The price just
kept going up. It's been going on for three weeks."
Sullivan revealed that the player had first come to the club's attention
whilst manager Sam Allardyce had gone to watch a striker at an Anderlecht
match.
He said: "He went to watch a striker but this player caught his attention.
We then did a lot of research and we believe he has a good chance of being a
top player. "Now We expect to sign the or four more but it's all about who
is value for money.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hit, miss or maybe: West Ham's 2014-15 fixtures rated month by month
Wednesday 18 Jun 2014 6:18 pm
Metro.co.uk
West Ham's fixtures rated month by month
The World Cup in Brazil has served up an impressive diet of spicy exotic
fare so far (ok maybe not Iran v Nigeria) but fans will have had an extra
spring in their step on Wednesday morning at the thought of attention
returning to the meat and potatoes of domestic football. Next season's
fixtures are out – and for West Ham fans, they make for pretty good reading.
In a competition where everyone plays one another an equal number of times
(mercifully the absurd 39th game idea seems to have died a deserved death)
obviously there is no such thing as a good draw. The best you can hope for
is for an even spread of the toughest games – and that is what West Ham seem
to have.
August: Tottenham (H), Crystal Palace (A), Southampton (H).
Dust off your t-shirts, look who's back! The Tottenham three-peat was the
highlight of last season, with victory in the final home game over our
nearest and dearest securing Premier League survival. A repeat would be the
perfect start. HIT
September: Hull (A), Liverpool (H), Man Utd (A).
After a steady start, the Liverpool/United combo poses the first major
challenge. Louis van Gaal will ensure are United a completely different
prospect to last season. Could be nasty. MISS
October: QPR (H), Burnley (A), Man City (H).
The return of Harry Redknapp and West Ham Reunited will be eagerly
anticipated. Will Ravel Morrison feature – and who for? Anything taken off
City is an improvement on last season's horrors. MAYBE
November: Stoke (A), Aston Villa (H), Everton (A), Newcastle (H).
By now the season's shape should be clear, so this is a decent run to have
at this time, although the two away games are particularly difficult. MAYBE
December: West Brom (A), Swansea (H), Sunderland (A), Leicester (H), Chelsea
(A), Arsenal (H).
Enjoy the run-up to Christmas, as there could be a nasty hangover
afterwards. Two particularly hard derbies to end 2014. HIT/MISS
January: West Brom (H), Swansea (A), Hull (H), Liverpool (A).
January 2014 was the darkest point of a miserable season, but January 2015
looks better – although Cup matches could change all that. HIT
February: Man Utd (H), Southampton (A), Tottenham (A), Crystal Palace (H).
Liverpool and Manchester United back to back again. That could set things
back, but otherwise the opposition is not too scary. MAYBE
March: Chelsea (H), Arsenal (A), Sunderland (H).
Ouch. There had to be one duff month – this is it. Four points from this
would be a decent return. MISS
April: Leicester (A), Stoke (H), Man City (A), QPR (A).
After last season's horrors it is a relief to have to wait this long to
return to the Etihad Stadium. Otherwise, there are points for the taking.
HIT
May: Burnley (H), Aston Villa (A), Everton (H), Newcastle (A).
And we're done – again. A twist in the tail though, as Everton are always
stingy and Newcastle can be one of the most daunting places to visit in the
country. MAYBE
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Badge of convenience
Kumb.COM
Filed: Wednesday, 18th June 2014
By: Paul Walker
It's getting serious now. We are going to get a new badge, somehow, some
way, because that is clearly what our owners and board want.
Yes, I know we are being asked for our opinions and we are being told that
no change will take place without a strong consensus, but deep down--I am
sure you all agree--the times (and badge) are a'changing!
When the idea was first suggested, my initial gut reaction was to say 'no
way'. So much of our legacy is about to be changed by the move to Stratford,
so much history, that my initial feeling was to say 'just leave us alone'.
And that is sad, because there is such a cynical view these days about club
owners, not just ours, that we don't believe a word anyone says anymore,
instinctively. Modern society dictates that, I suppose; everyone is under
such scrutiny, so much of what we are told is doubted.
Sadly, the gulf between the fans and the owners is vast. In fact it is more
acrimonious than I can remember in all my years of following the Irons. Some
of the abuse that has flooded fans' sites since the consultation was
announced is seriously bitter and twisted.
While our board have clearly impressed on big Sam to make more of an effort
to get along with the us, maybe the board need to look at themselves as well
because their image could do with a make-over, too.
So, after dismissing the badge change idea out of hand I took a more
considered view, and I can certainly understand the need for a fresh
approach to broaden the appeal of the club. And after some interesting
research, frankly I cannot find any sort of badge that you could claim was
definitive.
It has been a badge of convenience for so long, changing with each kit
contract or cup final. And it has not changed significantly since 1999, with
most clubs regularly changing their badges to allow them to trademark them
and see off the fakers and forgers.
The badge has gone through a multitude of changes over the decades,
virtually everything has been tried, some with far less success than others.
The fuss from fans now seems to revolve around the retention of the Boleyn
castle, which to my mind has always looked like a cartoon or a Camelot theme
park logo. And as for the yellow (I know people say it is gold, but to me it
just looks yellow), where did that come from?
There is not a hint of yellow/gold anywhere in our history, right back to
the Thames Ironworks. And for the first half of the last century, there was
not a hint of any sort of castle in our badge.
The first castle in the badge I can find, dates back to the famed '64 and
'65 cup finals at Wembley, where a white castle appeared on the shirts for
the first time for the FA Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup triumphs. The
yellow/gold only came into use in the first Adidas era, starting around 1980
to '83, and then again from '85 to '87.
Even then the castle reverted to sky blue right up until 1995, and we have
had it ever since. Now this is just a personal view, but I hate yellow. It's
an insipid, weak, flimsy colour. I am tempted to say 'girlie' but you are
not allowed to say such things these days.
So if the yellow disappeared, along with the Camelot castle, I wouldn't be
that bothered. If the consultation came up with a decision to revert to a
strong image of crossed Hammers, blue, with a plain claret background, I'd
be happy with that. In fact, it would be more traditional to our history
than anything we have seen since 1995.
The Thames Ironworks badge, on a dark blue shirt,, was a Union Jack. Our
then founder Arnold Hills was a great patriot. And from the foundation of
West Ham United in 1900 to the first FA Cup Final season of 1923, there
wasn't a badge on our shirts.
For that final, a simple white crest had claret crossed hammers, and claret
trim. But that, too, disappeared until the 1950s. Even the 1940 War Cup
Final shirt had no badge on it.
It's amazing what you can find on YouTube when you start looking, and
there's some lovely footage of that final, when Sam Small scored the winner.
It reminded me of a time when I was working in Birmingham, that I sought out
Sammy--a born and bred Brummie--for a interview about that final. He was a
lovely, humble man who was amazed anyone still bothered about his day of
glory.
He passed away at 81 in 1993 a real Hammers hero, having scored the winner
in front of a 42,000 crowd at Wembley with a 6.30pm kick-off to avoid the
bombing. Mind you, TV makes us have a 6.15pm kick off these days for the Cup
Final, and there's not a hint of the Luftwaffe to be seen, just advertising
driven TV execs.
Anyway, back to the badges. From 1950 a blue square with claret hammers
appeared on our shirts. It became a shield in '52 and a square and a shield
in '54. Then from '58 to '60 we had the iconic V-necked shirt with blue
shield and crossed claret hammers that Bobby Moore first wore.
Up until '64 the square badge was worn, but after that flirtation with the
white castle again there was no badge from '67 to '75.. The white castle
re-appeared for the '75 Cup Final shirt, and then came the remarkable deep
V-yoke with claret strips for the ECWC Final defeat by Anderlecht in '76.
That shirt had a castle too.
The 1980 Cup Final shirt had a claret castle with thin sky blue crossed
hammers, and there was no further hint of a castle from then to '85.
Ok, so the point I am trying to make, somewhat long-windedly I accept, is
that the castle is not a significant image of our history in terms of the
club badge. The important stuff is the claret and blue, plus the crossed
hammers.
If you watch the club's on-line presentation about the badge consultation,
and gloss over all the guff about trying to prove they understand our
heritage and have someone doing the design who has been a season ticket
holder for 30 years, you get the sense that the club would like to have a
plain and simple badge with the club's name and London 1895 on it somewhere.
They make the point, again, that the club's name will not be changed (over
my dead body I hear you all say) and that must be the case because the boy
Jack in his little twerps, sorry tweets, says so!
Now the bit about incorporating London into the badge. That doesn't bother
me much as our new ground will be closer to the City than Arsenal, Spurs,
Chelsea, Crystal Palace, QPR or Fulham. And it would get right up the noses
of our rivals if we stole a march on them.
It reminded me of something Craig Bellamy said in his autobiography. Craig
can be a stroppy little so-and-so with some seriously dodgy mates, but he
never gave less than 110 per cent in a West Ham shirt.
He admitted that when he joined us he did not realise how big a club we
were, or the size of our fan base, and the fact that "West Ham is really
London's club". Exactly. The City skyline will be a stunning backdrop to our
new stadium, like it or not, and we are more to do with the essence of being
Londoners than those muppets from White Hart Lane.
Back in the old days, the docks went right to the walls of the Tower, and
West Ham were very much the club of the City.
So, having initially dismissed any change in a rather luddite approach, I am
prepared to see what the club come up with. Anything would be better than a
toytown yellow castle, with very, very dubious links to Anne Boleyn. In
fact, I believe she had lost her head before the place was even built.
What we must not do is lose our heads every time our wonderful owners come
up with a scheme for something or other. They may well be Del Boy, Rodney
and Torygirl, but they are not all bad... are they?
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