Boleyn Memories - Don Hutchison
WHUFC.com
Don Hutchison enjoyed two memorable spells with the Hammers making 110
appearances and scoring 18 goals during a successful period for the Club.
Hutchison first arrived at the Boleyn Ground in the summer of 1994 from
Liverpool and scored on his debut for the Club against Newcastle. The former
Scotland international netted 14 times in his first two seasons at the Club
but left to join Sheffield United in January 1996. But the talented forward
made a return to the east London Club in August 2001 for £5m which was the
Club's transfer record fee at that time. Unfortunately a serious knee
ligament injury disrupted his return to east London and he was unable to
regain his best form for the Hammers. But Hutchison still enjoyed many
enjoyable moments over his time with the Club and keeps a close eye on how
the Hammers are faring – especially since the appointment of his former
team-mate Slaven Bilic. West Ham TV caught up with the 44-year-old and took
a trip down memory lane to recall his best moments from both the Boleyn and
training ground.
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Tomkins thrilled to see Valencia and Carroll back in action
WHUFC.com
West Ham United defender James Tomkins is thrilled to see Enner Valencia and
Andy Carroll back in action and feels Slaven Bilic has a wealth of talent to
choose from in the Hammers attack. Valencia made a successful return when he
played the final 20 minutes of a behind-closed doors friendly against
Reading at the Boleyn Ground on Friday. The talented forward has made a
speedy recovery from a serious knee and ankle injury he sustained against
Astra Giurgiu in the Europa League at the start of August. Carroll also
stepped up his fitness and moved closer to making a first-team return after
he played the full ninety minutes and got on the scoresheet during the 4-3
defeat.
With Dimitri Payet, Manuel Lanzini, Diafra Sakho, Michail Antonio and Nikica
Jelavic all battling for a place in the Hammers attack, Tomkins feels there
is real competition for places and they have a number of different options
to choose from. Tomkins said: "It was good to see Andy back among the goals
and get ninety minutes under his belt after being injured for a while. "It
is good for him to be back out there and it was also great to see Enner get
some match fitness. "He is ahead of schedule which is good for him and us as
a team. If we can keep him fit he is an added bonus and the squad is looking
very strong. It is nice for the players who are just coming back. "I think
we have got a good mixture in our attacking players. We have got physical
presence and skilful players up there. "We have got a nice mix and it is
great for the gaffer if he needs to bring someone off the bench. Attacking
wise we are looking really strong at the moment."From someone playing at the
back you know we are going to score goals."
Tomkins is now hoping the Hammers can extend their five-match unbeaten run
in the Premier League when they play Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park next
Saturday. But the Hammers defender is expecting one of their toughest
challenges of the season when they travel to south London.
Tomkins added: "Palace are going to be a difficult team to beat, especially
at their place. They have had some great results and are sitting nicely in
fourth which they thoroughly deserve. "They are going to be as hard as
anyone we have played this year."
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U18s connect four!
WHUFC.com
West Ham United secured their fourth Barclays U18 Premier League victory in
a row by beating Aston Villa 2-1 at Bodymoor Heath on Saturday. In their
past three games, the Hammers have pulled off impressive victories over
Chelsea, Southampton and Reading and made it four when an own-goal was
followed by West Ham substitute Jahmal Hector-Ingram's first goal of the
season to secure the points. West Ham made three changes to the team that
beat Reading at Little Heath a week earlier. Tim Brown replaced England U19
call-up Sam Howes in goal, while Jake Eggleton and Grady Diangana moved into
the starting XI off the bench in place of Marcus Browne and Matty Carter.
Over the course of the season to date, the Academy players have impressed
with their ability to keep their shape and frustrate opponents, although
they have not always picked up the result to match their efforts. It was
that shape and formation that were causing Villa all sorts of problems from
the start, forcing Tony McAndrew's side to spend plenty of time with the
ball but unable to break down the Hammers back line. They did find a way
through though and took the lead, however. Undeterred, the in-form West Ham
were soon back on level turns when a home player again found the back of the
net, albeit at the wrong end from a Villa perspective.
The match was turned on its head completely in the second half when England
youth international striker Hector-Ingram returned from a number of weeks
out on the sidelines with a well-taken finish to give the Academy the lead.
The result takes the Hammers into sixth place in the Barclays U18 Premier
League South with 14 points from their nine games. West Ham will be hoping
to continue their fine run of form this week when they host Brighton & Hove
Albion at Little Heath on Thursday 15 October 2015 at midday.
U18s: Brown, Eggleton, Akinola, Rice, Pask, Borg, Dobson, Sylvestre, Powell,
Diangana, Kanu (Hector-Ingram). Subs not used: Longelo, Barrett, Lewis.
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Sam Allardyce 'feels loved' after warm Sunderland welcome
Last Updated: 11/10/15 3:01pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce says Sunderland fans have made him feel loved again after his
experience with West Ham's "moaning" supporters. Allardyce has abandoned his
sabbatical to take charge on Wearside after Dick Advocaat decided to call
time on his long managerial career. And the 61-year-old, who had to put up
with 'Allardyce out' campaigns from some supporters during his time at
Newcastle and West Ham, admits it makes a pleasant change to feel wanted. He
told the Sun on Sunday: "When I was at West Ham my wife would constantly
read the supporters' websites to see what new insults were being fired. It
upset her but she couldn't keep away from the screen. "Now she's been
reading the Sunderland fans' sites and she tells me the reaction has been
very positive, which makes me very excited to get going. "Everyone wants to
be praised and to feel wanted and I just hope I can give the Sunderland
supporters some of the excitement they are looking for. "It's nice to be
loved, but at West Ham and Newcastle I was faced by passionate fans that
made themselves heard if they weren't happy. "It wasn't just me at West Ham,
it was every manager that was there. I got it because I was manager at that
time, but before that they moaned about Avram Grant, Alan Curbishley, Alan
Pardew and Harry Redknapp." Pardew more recently struggled to win over
Newcastle's fans and eventually left for Crystal Palace, where he has
overseen the club's rise to an early-season top-four place. "Look at how
Alan Pardew's career has transformed," Allardyce said. "They gave him a hard
time at Newcastle and he moved to Palace, where the fans love him. The
turnaround has been scary."
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West Ham legend Julian Dicks hitting all the right notes with former
room-mate Slaven Bilic
0 COMMENTS 22:30, 10 OCT 2015
BY ANTHONY CLAVANE
The Terminator may seem like a polar opposite to the sophisticated Croat,
but Dicks says he's loving his return to Upton Park and reunion with Bilic
The Mirror
The Terminator is back - which is music to the ears of all West Ham United
fans who worship the very ground Julian Dicks stands on.
With the club sixth in the Premier League, and getting ready to move into
the state-of-the-art Olympic Stadium, Dicks and his old room-mate Slaven
Bilic are hitting all the right notes. Even if they are a bit ear-piercing.
Next month new boss Bilic and his assistant coach will be at a Megadeth
concert in London. "The gaffer's got me and him tickets," smiled Dicks. "He
put on a couple of their songs at Liverpool. It seemed to lift the mood of
the dressing room." That magnificent 3-0 win at Anfield, alongside superb
triumphs at Arsenal and Manchester City, have convinced supporters the heavy
metal football is working. Dicks and Bilic - who appear in West Ham's film
talking about how they, like many fans, have returned to the club they love
- are the dream ticket. During his 11 years at Upton Park, the Englishman
was revered as a tough-as-nails hardman - whereas Bilic revels in his
reputation as a sophisticated, multilingual, international coach. But Dicks
explained that they clicked as soon as they met. "We both used to smoke and
drink and we both liked heavy metal music," he said. "We were good
room-mates. We just hit it off from day one. I've still got the Everton
shirt he gave me after I played against him. People say to me he's a
miserable so-and-so. But he's not. He's got a good sense of humour. He's
good fun to be with."
Some eyebrows were raised when the Croat appointed the man whose nickname
alludes to Arnold Schwarzenegger's movie assassin. "The gaffer knows what he
will get from me," said Dicks. "Which is truth. He can ask me any single
question he wants and he knows I will tell him the truth." As a player this
no-nonsense approach made him a cult hero. He said: "The fans could count on
me to go through brick walls. There's no-one like me today. If I was playing
today I wouldn't be on the pitch." "I remember my first game when I elbowed
an Everton player. The crowd went mad. He was laying on the floor. That was
my initiation." When Arnie said he'd be back, he drove a car through the
doors and killed a few of his enemies. Dicksie's return has been less
melodramatic. He said: "Training is fun. Players have a laugh and a joke. I
remember coming to watch training here under Avram Grant. It was a dire
place. No-one was smiling or joking." "There's a bond between me and the
fans. They are coming back. Certain fans had left, whether it was because of
managers or because they couldn't afford to go." "But it's going to be a lot
cheaper at the new ground. To go from 33,000 to 55,000 at the new stadium
the team have to be doing well. It will be a big wrench to leave, but to go
to the next level you need a bigger stadium. West Ham stands out to me from
any other club. Our pride and our passion is back."
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New Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce set to raid former club West Ham for James
Tomkins
1 COMMENT 22:30, 10 OCT 2015 UPDATED 15:13, 11 OCT 2015
BY CLIVE HETHERINGTON
Tomkins signed a five-year contract in February and may set the Black Cats
back £10m PLUS: West Ham looking at £10m-rated Besiktas midfielder
The Mirror
New Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce will make West Ham defender James Tomkins
a January transfer target. Big Sam, who agreed a two-year deal with the
Black Cats to replace Dick Advocaat, has been guaranteed a sizeable kitty by
chairman Ellis Short to recruit in the new year.
Strengthening Sunderland's leaky defence is a priority and centre-back
Tomkins, 26, fits the bill, having played under Allardyce at Upton Park. The
Hammers would be reluctant to sell Tomkins, who signed a new five-year
contract in February, but could be tempted by an offer of around £10million.
Sunderland's bitter rivals Newcastle – where Allardyce was boss for eight
months before his sacking in January 2008 – are also keen on former England
Under-21 international Tomkins. Allardyce is expected to move for former
Toon and West Ham skipper Kevin Nolan, 33, who is now a free agent. French
midfielder Morgan Amalfitano, 30, whose Hammers contract was cancelled this
week by mutual consent after a bust-up with Slaven Bilic, could also
interest Allardyce. Ex-Sunderland, Newcastle and West Ham striker Pop Robson
has backed Allardyce to rescue the second-bottom Wearsiders from the threat
of relegation. Robson, who played in the same Sunderland side as Allardyce
in the 1980-81 season, said: "Sam's a very good appointment. If anyone can
keep Sunderland in the Premier League, Big Sam can. "Sam has the experience
to get the best out of that squad." Meanwhile Slaven Bilic is lining up a
West Ham reunion with Besiktas star Oguzhan Ozyakup. The Hammers boss is a
big fan of the £10million-rated Turkish midfielder and could raid his old
club in January.
Ozyakup was poached by Arsenal from AZ Alkmaar as a teenager but failed to
make the grade. The Holland-born player, 23, was instead given his big break
by Besiktas after a bargain £300,000 switch in 2012. Ozyakup, who switched
allegiances to represent Turkey, could now head back to England if Bilic
gets his way.
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Tomkins, Sunderland and the Curtis connection!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 11, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H
There are many good reasons for believing that James Tomkins won't be
joining Sunderland! He has a new five year deal in his back pocket; he
would cost an awful lot of money which Sunderland probably haven't got and
the lad himself – an 'ammer to his backbone – is hardly likely to want to
miss out on the OS adventure. When the suggestion first filtered out this
week the first thing that sprung into my mind, however, was that his agent
is a certain Mark Curtis (above right), who also acts for Sam Allardyce –
and this time last year appeared to be a massive Boleyn power source with
Kevin Nolan, Andy Carroll, Joey O'Brien, Jussi Jaaskalainen and Adrian on
his books
Indeed there was a big conspiracy theory doing the rounds that Agent Curtis
would be de-stabilising his various players were his No 1 client , the
manager, not to get a new Upton Park deal. In fact, the man may have been
badly misjudged, because one of last acts before Sam's long goodbye was to
negotiate the Tomkins deal, hardly the action of a man who is planning to
upset any apple carts. There's a second good reason for believing that
Curtis is more than happy to negotiate deals with his players to remain in
east London – Adrian!
By organising the recent two year West Ham deal for him rather kicks any
conspiracy theories out of the window and suggests too that James Tomkins
will continue his Irons career. Should Sunderland arrive with a £10 million
fee for him we enter an entirely different playing field but it seems
unlikely. Interesting times!
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ClaretandHugh's ExWHUemployee column
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 11, 2015 in ExWHUemployee's Blogs,
News, Whispers
C and H
Well I have spent the last week without much WI-FI and signal away with work
and have had a lot to catch up with on my return.
Big Sam is back in management with Sunderland. The papers did their usual
trick of linking him with a number of ex-players as is the norm whenever a
new manager is appointed. The only player who is likely to join Sam at the
moment is Kevin Nolan. Whilst, believe it or not, Sam realises his influence
as a player is dwindling his power as a captain is still there and is
desperately needed at a club short of leaders and short of morale.
There is a chance that he will also look to bring in Carlton Cole (although
he has been training with Celtic but not signed yet due to an injury set
back and long contract talks). Ricardo Vaz Te is another possible arrival.
The rumours of a bid for James Tomkins were completely wide of the mark.
Bilic has been impressed with him, especially at right back and he sees him
as a decent centre back to, although Ogbonna and Reid remain the first
choice pairing.
James Tomkins and Big Sam didn't always see eye to eye so it isn't the case,
as is with Nolan, that Tomkins would have a massive desire to be reunited
with his former boss. They fell out over the player's insistence on playing
for Great Britain in the 2012 Olympics and also when Sam hit out at the
defender for his "playacting" away at Everton.
Another player been linked with the club is Morgan Amalfitano who was rarely
selected by Sam despite some impressive performances last year. The
midfielder is also unavailable until January having not been released before
the August Window closed as is the case with Emmanuel Adebayor, who will
also become a target for Sam in January.
I would say that James Collins to Sunderland is far more likely to happen
than Tomkins, given that we have tried to move him on and he was more of a
Big Sam player. The appointment of Sam's backroom staff will be interesting
seeing as McDonald, Sheringham and Ian Hendon all have manager jobs
elsewhere.
An interesting development this week has been with the ladies team and they
seem to be getting the publicity they wanted but all for the wrong reasons.
Six players walked out this week with the Captain and figurehead of many
years Stacey Little being told she was surplus to requirements.
It was always going to be a very difficult job for any manager to replace
Julian Dicks as not only is he a club legend but he was popular amongst the
ladies. This could be the reason why a number of ex-players, despite being
initially interested, chose not to apply for the manager's position in the
summer.
The criticism thrown at Marc Nurse is that he has never managed a ladies
team before, only academy teams, but this was also the case with Julian
Dicks. I think it is a very sad moment when a player such as Stacey Little
is released. I know first-hand how much she cares and has done for the club
in previous years and her departure doesn't seem fitting after all she has
put into the club.
The ladies involved have been quite vocal in their disapproval of the
current manager and where the club is going. The club have chosen a quieter
approach and will not put in the public arena their reasons behind certain
decisions. I find myself really keen to sit on the fence with this as I have
always got on well with Stacey and love the passion she has for her
football.
I also get on well with the chairman and a couple of players who decided to
stay on with the club. The result today was embarrassing although the club
did lose 5-0 in the Cup Final to the same outfit last year. Clearly results
need to start taking a more positive turn and positive vibes need to come
out of the club.
The situation is worrying and the good vibes caused by all the sponsorship
money raised seem a distant memory. I hope that they do from the next game
but I also hope that some of the players that have departed either can
return to the club or certainly continue to have successes in the game.
One person associated with the club who has proven a lot of people wrong
recently is Darren Randolph. I suffered a lot of criticism for defending him
when he was called upon to replace Adrian for his three game suspension. Yes
he had looked dodgy in Europe but so did many players and it was way too
soon to write him off, given that he was highly rated before he arrived.
He achieved a MOM award against Bournemouth and two clean sheets away at
Liverpool and at home v Newcastle. He has now gone onto keep a clean sheet
against Germany and even get an "assist".
A number of people I know have been to the Olympic Stadium to watch the
rugby and they tell me how great it is. I was also lucky enough to get one
of them to film the view from my seat and I was impressed and delighted at
my new view.
The club have started to draw up a list of players to scout for potential
moves in January. Players will need to move on though in order for purchases
ro be made. What is exciting for the club is that Ogbonna, Carroll, Valencia
and Song are all at or near full fitness. Having these four back to their
best will be a massive boost to our already impressive start.
I was delighted to get through and be nominated in the football blogging
awards. I now am through to the final and I go against a number of top blogs
with far more followers than I have. I would be delighted if you would vote
for me either via the website here under the social awards
http://www.footballbloggingawards.co.uk/vote-now/ or by tweeting my vote
here http://t.co/yD2gHCvbYi.
I am sure Claret and Hugh would have been a contender too had they put
themselves forward but Hugh's not big on awards competitions and all the
stuff yhat goes with them LOL.. I am also looking to speak to people who
would like to attend the awards with me so please get in touch via my
twitter account if you are keen.
The game next week against Palace is a massive one as both are in form
sides, it will be a real marker as to where we are and I think we will get a
result.
COYI
Follow on Twitter @ExWHUemployee
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
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Monday, October 12
Sunday, October 11
Daily WHUFC News - 11th October 2015
Enner ready for action
WHUFC.com
Enner Valencia cannot wait to make his first-team return after making a
successful comeback from a serious leg injury. The No11 caught the eye
during a late cameo in Friday's 4-3 friendly defeat by Reading at the Boleyn
Ground, running hard, looking sharp and setting up a late goal for Andy
Carroll. The Ecuador forward is now looking to improve his match-fitness and
catch the attention of manager Slaven Bilic, with the hope of returning to
West Ham United's starting XI. "I'm very happy that I managed to play 15
minutes," the South American told West Ham TV. "I'm just getting ready now
for when the league comes back."
For Valencia, his recent injury setback could not have come at a more
inopportune moment – just minutes after he had scored his first goal of the
season in the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round first-leg tie with
Astra Giurgiu back in early August. The 25-year-old's leg issues saw him
miss West Ham's opening eight Barclays Premier League matches, but he is now
back in business and eager to make up for lost time. "I was looking forward
to this season, and was very excited at the start," he revealed.
"Unfortunately I got that setback where I got injured in the first game I
played. I'm looking forward to what's to come and very happy to be available
for the manager."
While he may not have been available himself, Valencia has kept a close eye
on proceedings on the pitch, watching the Hammers make a strong start to the
2015/16 campaign. "The team is playing very well the way they are playing.
The players that are starting are doing very well and I have to work hard to
get my place back. "I watched every single game; our away form has been
fantastic. We've not been as good at home but we are working on that.
Hopefully our home form will improve."
While Club comes first, Valencia has also maintained contact with his
national side, Ecuador, who made a stunning start to qualification for the
2018 FIFA World Cup. The man who scored three times at the 2014 finals
stayed up late to watch his compatriots score a 2-0 win in Argentina in
their opening qualifier – their first-ever such victory in Buenos Aires. "It
was an unbelievable game," he smiled. "It was the first time that Ecuador
won in Argentina in World Cup qualifying. I am very excited and looking
forward to get back into the national team and being with my teammates as
well."
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Wanchope checks in
WHUFC.com
Evening Standard correspondent Ken Dyer managed to snare elusive ex-West Ham
United forward Paulo Wanchope
I was down at Chadwell Heath recently to interview James Collins for the
Evening Standard. As I walked across the car park I noticed a lone figure
standing there. He smiled – I smiled back and walked on. You know the
feeling, the one where you think the face looks faintly familiar – but you
just can't put a name to it. It was minutes later – the cogs turn a little
more slowly these days – before I cracked it. It was, I felt pretty sure,
Paulo Wanchope, once of West Ham United, Derby County and Manchester City. I
took the opportunity to retrace my steps, introduce myself and confirm that
it was indeed the 39-year-old former Costa Rica striker who spent the
1999/00 season with us, scoring 15 goals in 47 appearances and forging a
fruitful and always entertaining partnership with Paolo Di Canio.
Paulo, who scored 45 goals in 73 caps for his country, joined West Ham
following a successful spell at Derby. He moved onto Manchester City a year
later and after spells in Spain, Qatar, Japan, Argentina and the United
States, retired eight years ago.
Three weeks ago, following discussions with the Costa Rica Football
Federation, Paulo resigned his position as Costa Rica head coach, which is
why I found him keenly observing Slaven Bilic's training session.
"I've been here for two weeks," he explained. "I came here to watch some
training sessions at clubs and talk about football with a few people I know.
Hopefully I will have the chance to come over to England to work. I took all
my coaching badges here in England.
"I had a few jobs in clubs back home then the Costa Rica FA gave me the
opportunity to work with the Under-21s. I then became assistant coach of the
senior team during the World Cup in Brazil.
"I was appointed national team coach after the World Cup for one year but
resigned three weeks ago, so now I'm over here to see some old friends.
"I've been at Manchester City and also Everton because they have a Costa
Rican player there – Brian Oviedo. I'm also going to see another Costa
Rican, Joel Campbell, who is at Arsenal."
So what does Paulo remember of his time at the Hammers?
"I have fond memories of my time here," he says. "Harry Redknapp was the
manager and his assistant was Frank Lampard. They were good days because
there were some very good players here – Frank Lampard jnr., Rio Ferdinand,
Paolo Di Canio, Trevor Sinclair – I really enjoyed it here.
"I improved a lot as a player here because I was around other very good
players."
I improved a lot as a player here because I was around other very good
players
Paulo Wanchope
In fact, Paulo's partnership with Paolo produced 31 goals and helped the
club to ninth spot in the Premier League table.
He was finally sold to Manchester City for £3.65m, following the arrival at
West Ham of Croatia star Davor Suker and Mali striker Frederic Kanoute.
"I went from West Ham to spend four seasons at Manchester City. It was quite
a good time there also, with good players and coaching staff," he recalls.
"I was also at Derby County with Jim Smith. I am always grateful to England
and the clubs here because they helped me a great deal in my professional
career.
"I was here eight years in all as a player and now I'm looking forward to
working here as a coach. Football-wise England is incredible and everyone
wants to work here.
"My family too, are looking forward to the possibility. We have two
children. My daughter, who is 12, was born here and we also have a son, aged
seven.
"I also have dual nationality so we feel we really have a close affinity
with this country."
As for the present Paulo is delighted with the way things have gone so far
for his old club.
"It is incredible what West Ham are doing in the Premier League," he says.
"I'm here to look at their training sessions, what they are doing on a daily
basis. I'm interested to know the secret of their success!"
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Gold: "I liked Ravel but got nowhere with him"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 10, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H
EXCLUSIVE
David Gold has warned Ravel Morrison that he will be thirty years old
"before he knows it" and will be saying: "Oh God, put my life on rewind and
let me start again."
The co chairman have his views in an exclusive ClaretandHugh inerview after
a national newspaper had run a two-part interview with the Lazio player in
which he is quoted as saying that life at West Ham "messed with his head."
The co-chairman claimed he constantly had a metaphorical arm around the
player's shoulder when he was at Upton Park and told us: "I really began to
believe I was having an impact and getting through to him. "But then I
realised that in reality what I was saying was going in one ear and out of
the other. He was quiet and respectful. We talked a lot and you think you
are getting somewhere but but then it turns out to be a waste of time. "He
had a lot of people try to help him here from those who would put an arm
around his shoulder to those who took a tougher approach but it just didn't
work and its such a shame. He's such a talent and I really hope it works out
for him but he has to beat those demons. "He could get to thirty and look
back saying 'Oh God, put my life on rewind and let me start again." "From a
purely footballing point of view it was a shame for him and us. He could
have been a big player and on the other front we had a £20 million
footballer on our hands who then became worth two bob! I don't blame Sam
(Allardyce) or anyone else at this club for what happened. We really did all
try to help and I really hope it works out for him at Lazio and in the
future as I genuinely like Ravel."
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Irons explain their Klopp connection
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 10, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham were the quickest club out of the blocks when Jurgen Klopp decided
to quit Borussia Dortmund back in the summer. As Klopp mania grips the Kop
this weekend, ClaretandHugh was told this morning the Irons board moved in
very quickly as they tried to tie up a deal with the German.
Stressing though that they could hardly be happier in finally appointing
Slaven Bilic as manager, a top level source explained to us exclusively: "At
the time Klopp was the name on everybody's lips and of course we were more
than interested. "You only have to look at the fever going on around
Merseyside to understand how highly this man is rated and yes we were keen
at that time. "We spoke to his agents and in fact made a very big offer but
the timing was wrong because they came back to us saying he wanted a break
from the game to get Dortmund out of his system. "That's probably all true
but it's also fair to assume that Klopp wanted the opportunity of managing
a club he perceived to be bigger than us."
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WHUFC.com
Enner Valencia cannot wait to make his first-team return after making a
successful comeback from a serious leg injury. The No11 caught the eye
during a late cameo in Friday's 4-3 friendly defeat by Reading at the Boleyn
Ground, running hard, looking sharp and setting up a late goal for Andy
Carroll. The Ecuador forward is now looking to improve his match-fitness and
catch the attention of manager Slaven Bilic, with the hope of returning to
West Ham United's starting XI. "I'm very happy that I managed to play 15
minutes," the South American told West Ham TV. "I'm just getting ready now
for when the league comes back."
For Valencia, his recent injury setback could not have come at a more
inopportune moment – just minutes after he had scored his first goal of the
season in the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round first-leg tie with
Astra Giurgiu back in early August. The 25-year-old's leg issues saw him
miss West Ham's opening eight Barclays Premier League matches, but he is now
back in business and eager to make up for lost time. "I was looking forward
to this season, and was very excited at the start," he revealed.
"Unfortunately I got that setback where I got injured in the first game I
played. I'm looking forward to what's to come and very happy to be available
for the manager."
While he may not have been available himself, Valencia has kept a close eye
on proceedings on the pitch, watching the Hammers make a strong start to the
2015/16 campaign. "The team is playing very well the way they are playing.
The players that are starting are doing very well and I have to work hard to
get my place back. "I watched every single game; our away form has been
fantastic. We've not been as good at home but we are working on that.
Hopefully our home form will improve."
While Club comes first, Valencia has also maintained contact with his
national side, Ecuador, who made a stunning start to qualification for the
2018 FIFA World Cup. The man who scored three times at the 2014 finals
stayed up late to watch his compatriots score a 2-0 win in Argentina in
their opening qualifier – their first-ever such victory in Buenos Aires. "It
was an unbelievable game," he smiled. "It was the first time that Ecuador
won in Argentina in World Cup qualifying. I am very excited and looking
forward to get back into the national team and being with my teammates as
well."
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Wanchope checks in
WHUFC.com
Evening Standard correspondent Ken Dyer managed to snare elusive ex-West Ham
United forward Paulo Wanchope
I was down at Chadwell Heath recently to interview James Collins for the
Evening Standard. As I walked across the car park I noticed a lone figure
standing there. He smiled – I smiled back and walked on. You know the
feeling, the one where you think the face looks faintly familiar – but you
just can't put a name to it. It was minutes later – the cogs turn a little
more slowly these days – before I cracked it. It was, I felt pretty sure,
Paulo Wanchope, once of West Ham United, Derby County and Manchester City. I
took the opportunity to retrace my steps, introduce myself and confirm that
it was indeed the 39-year-old former Costa Rica striker who spent the
1999/00 season with us, scoring 15 goals in 47 appearances and forging a
fruitful and always entertaining partnership with Paolo Di Canio.
Paulo, who scored 45 goals in 73 caps for his country, joined West Ham
following a successful spell at Derby. He moved onto Manchester City a year
later and after spells in Spain, Qatar, Japan, Argentina and the United
States, retired eight years ago.
Three weeks ago, following discussions with the Costa Rica Football
Federation, Paulo resigned his position as Costa Rica head coach, which is
why I found him keenly observing Slaven Bilic's training session.
"I've been here for two weeks," he explained. "I came here to watch some
training sessions at clubs and talk about football with a few people I know.
Hopefully I will have the chance to come over to England to work. I took all
my coaching badges here in England.
"I had a few jobs in clubs back home then the Costa Rica FA gave me the
opportunity to work with the Under-21s. I then became assistant coach of the
senior team during the World Cup in Brazil.
"I was appointed national team coach after the World Cup for one year but
resigned three weeks ago, so now I'm over here to see some old friends.
"I've been at Manchester City and also Everton because they have a Costa
Rican player there – Brian Oviedo. I'm also going to see another Costa
Rican, Joel Campbell, who is at Arsenal."
So what does Paulo remember of his time at the Hammers?
"I have fond memories of my time here," he says. "Harry Redknapp was the
manager and his assistant was Frank Lampard. They were good days because
there were some very good players here – Frank Lampard jnr., Rio Ferdinand,
Paolo Di Canio, Trevor Sinclair – I really enjoyed it here.
"I improved a lot as a player here because I was around other very good
players."
I improved a lot as a player here because I was around other very good
players
Paulo Wanchope
In fact, Paulo's partnership with Paolo produced 31 goals and helped the
club to ninth spot in the Premier League table.
He was finally sold to Manchester City for £3.65m, following the arrival at
West Ham of Croatia star Davor Suker and Mali striker Frederic Kanoute.
"I went from West Ham to spend four seasons at Manchester City. It was quite
a good time there also, with good players and coaching staff," he recalls.
"I was also at Derby County with Jim Smith. I am always grateful to England
and the clubs here because they helped me a great deal in my professional
career.
"I was here eight years in all as a player and now I'm looking forward to
working here as a coach. Football-wise England is incredible and everyone
wants to work here.
"My family too, are looking forward to the possibility. We have two
children. My daughter, who is 12, was born here and we also have a son, aged
seven.
"I also have dual nationality so we feel we really have a close affinity
with this country."
As for the present Paulo is delighted with the way things have gone so far
for his old club.
"It is incredible what West Ham are doing in the Premier League," he says.
"I'm here to look at their training sessions, what they are doing on a daily
basis. I'm interested to know the secret of their success!"
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Gold: "I liked Ravel but got nowhere with him"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 10, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H
EXCLUSIVE
David Gold has warned Ravel Morrison that he will be thirty years old
"before he knows it" and will be saying: "Oh God, put my life on rewind and
let me start again."
The co chairman have his views in an exclusive ClaretandHugh inerview after
a national newspaper had run a two-part interview with the Lazio player in
which he is quoted as saying that life at West Ham "messed with his head."
The co-chairman claimed he constantly had a metaphorical arm around the
player's shoulder when he was at Upton Park and told us: "I really began to
believe I was having an impact and getting through to him. "But then I
realised that in reality what I was saying was going in one ear and out of
the other. He was quiet and respectful. We talked a lot and you think you
are getting somewhere but but then it turns out to be a waste of time. "He
had a lot of people try to help him here from those who would put an arm
around his shoulder to those who took a tougher approach but it just didn't
work and its such a shame. He's such a talent and I really hope it works out
for him but he has to beat those demons. "He could get to thirty and look
back saying 'Oh God, put my life on rewind and let me start again." "From a
purely footballing point of view it was a shame for him and us. He could
have been a big player and on the other front we had a £20 million
footballer on our hands who then became worth two bob! I don't blame Sam
(Allardyce) or anyone else at this club for what happened. We really did all
try to help and I really hope it works out for him at Lazio and in the
future as I genuinely like Ravel."
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Irons explain their Klopp connection
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 10, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham were the quickest club out of the blocks when Jurgen Klopp decided
to quit Borussia Dortmund back in the summer. As Klopp mania grips the Kop
this weekend, ClaretandHugh was told this morning the Irons board moved in
very quickly as they tried to tie up a deal with the German.
Stressing though that they could hardly be happier in finally appointing
Slaven Bilic as manager, a top level source explained to us exclusively: "At
the time Klopp was the name on everybody's lips and of course we were more
than interested. "You only have to look at the fever going on around
Merseyside to understand how highly this man is rated and yes we were keen
at that time. "We spoke to his agents and in fact made a very big offer but
the timing was wrong because they came back to us saying he wanted a break
from the game to get Dortmund out of his system. "That's probably all true
but it's also fair to assume that Klopp wanted the opportunity of managing
a club he perceived to be bigger than us."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
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Saturday, October 10
Daily WHUFC News - 10th October 2015
A message from the Vice-Chairman
WHUFC.com
I have watched with pride as a fantastic summer programme of events has seen so many thousands of sports fans from all corners of the globe flocking to the Olympic Stadium.
Anyone who questions the legacy of the 2012 Games has obviously not visited the Stadium this summer. If they had, they would have been professionally guided around by a local employee, relishing their new and important role. They would have witnessed a true athletics legacy, one that has already seen Usain Bolt and Mo Farah return for the Anniversary Games.
Or, perhaps, during these last three weeks they would have witnessed the spine-tingling moments as it played host to the international spectacle that is the Rugby World Cup. Thanks to the stunning acoustics of the Stadium's truly magnificent roof, national anthems and even the Haka reverberated around the famous venue and created an incredible atmosphere for those inside.
I certainly had goose bumps at the thought that only next summer this truly iconic landmark will host 54,000 of our magnificent supporters singing the anthem of East London – a chorus of Bubbles.
I am so proud that our vision for a true Olympic legacy is beginning to be realised and that our Club will continue to play a leading role in delivering it. Despite there still being plenty of work to do at the Stadium after the summer events programme has concluded, the reaction I have had from our supporters who went to watch the Rugby World Cup has been overwhelmingly positive.
I share the pride in what we have achieved in Stratford. We will be the anchor tenant and I am proud of the team I lead achieving such a positive result in our supporters' name.
In light of the LLDC's announcement that they are lodging an appeal against the Information Commissioner's judgment and the subsequent release of a more detailed version of our contract with them, I wanted to take this opportunity to address openly the intrigue, caused by the confidential nature of it, which, admittedly, has been minor and by people driven with their own agendas. We welcome that decision as, put simply, we have nothing to hide.
The agreement between West Ham and E20 represents a win for both parties. From our point of view, other than the personal affairs of my shareholders, we are happy to disclose the entire document.
However, quite clearly, E20 must continue to best serve the taxpayer through the negotiation of future contracts and users in the Stadium and it is therefore only right that details which affect their ability to do so remain confidential.
It has been reported that we got a good deal but it is worth remembering that West Ham went through three arduous, fair, competitive and thoroughly robust bidding processes. And the fact is we came out unanimously and convincingly on top each and every time.
This is because we were the only bidder with a true vision for the Stadium and its ability to act as a catalyst for the regeneration of our part of East London.
We saw the potential for the Stadium to be a truly world-class venue – the UK's No1 entertainment destination – and we stepped up, took the risk and nailed our colours to the mast, financially, and otherwise. We worked hard alongside the Mayor of London and our partners at the LLDC to find a long-term sustainable future for the Stadium.
Those involved are to be commended for their innovation. The ground-breaking transformation is down to their foresight. As a result, the Stadium now boasts retractable seats and the world's largest and most spectacular cantilevered roof. The outcome has been international sporting events flocking to use this stunning arena on the basis that it offers such a unique spectator experience and unrivalled sightlines.
I want to be clear though, the Stadium only gives us an opportunity. It needs to sit alongside a meticulously thought out player recruitment strategy, skilful and prudent custodianship of the Club's finances, an innovative business model for growth and, most of all, sheer hard work and determination to succeed.
Without us, all of the colour, vibrancy, revenue and, crucially, jobs we've seen return to East London this summer would not be there, as our 99 year tenancy was essential in underwriting the Stadium's other uses.
During the negotiations, did I do the best deal I could for West Ham United? Of course I did, that's my job, but not at the expense of the taxpayer. I think what is very clear to anyone reading the agreement for the first time, is just how determined I was to protect the rights of West Ham United and our fans during the negotiations, while also ensuring it was fair to the taxpayer.
Firstly, and most importantly, we have always promised our supporters that the Stadium will look and feel like home and that was made explicitly clear in the contract. Our Bobby Moore and Sir Trevor Brooking stands were legally guaranteed along with countless other opportunities to brand the Stadium and surrounding areas the West Ham way with our colours, honours and homage to our legends. Ultimately, anyone visiting the Stadium will be left in no doubt – this is the home of West Ham United.
There are also multiple clauses that will ensure the pitch and playing facilities will always meet the world-class specifications we enjoy at the Boleyn Ground. Those clauses protect us from any other use of the Stadium during the football season if we feel it would have an adverse effect on the pitch, playing facilities or our supporter experience.
The Overriding Priority Principle makes clear that our fixtures and events are ring-fenced and will always take priority over all other events that may be at the Stadium. This means we will always meet the responsibility we have to our governing bodies, including the Premier League, by ensuring our fixtures take precedence above any other user of the Stadium.
There have also been some ill-informed suggestions that my two Chairmen, David Sullivan and David Gold, plan to sell the Club as soon as we move to Stratford. Having worked with them for nearly 25 years, I can tell you that nothing is further from the truth.
That is why we were perfectly happy to include an Enterprise Clause, which would return significant sums of money to the taxpayer should the Club be sold.
Although the exact terms of the agreement have to remain confidential to protect our commercial interests, the numbers we are talking are huge – hundreds of millions of pounds.
It has been widely reported that we will be paying an annual rent of £2.5m a year plus a £15m capital contribution towards the conversion. While this would be far more than any of the other groups or organisations that will be using the Stadium, these figures do not come close to reflecting the total amount from which the taxpayer stands to benefit.
E20 take the lion's share of the catering sales and also the naming rights revenue. Plus they will benefit further by performance-related bonus payments that could amount to many millions of pounds a year should we finish higher than tenth in the Premier League, as we stand today.
Ahead of our move into the Stadium in June next year, the Club will be investing in the region of a further £7m into the Stadium to ensure it truly looks and feels like our home.
We have already revealed our stunning new claret and blue seat design and, subject to planning, we will make further major announcements on some other key elements over the coming months. These will include a new Ticket Office, Stadium Store, Visitor Centre, offices, Boardroom and a host of other infrastructure benefits.
As we have seen over the past week, the new Stadium will bring life to this part of East London and will spearhead the regeneration of the local area, with West Ham United at its core. In just ten months we will be kicking off a new Premier League season there, watched by over 4.4 billion people across the globe and the legacy of 2012 will be even closer to being fulfilled.
I, for one, can't wait!
Karren Brady
Vice-Chairman
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Terzic welcomes 'euphoric' Klopp
WHUFC.com
Edin Terzic has welcomed Jurgen Klopp to the Barclays Premier League after his former boss was appointed as Liverpool manager. West Ham United's first-team coach served as a scout and coach under Klopp during the German's hugely successful spell in charge of Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund, where the pair won back-to-back league titles and reached the 2013 UEFA Champions League final. Terzic, who left Dortmund to join Slaven Bilic's backroom staff at Turkish club Besiktas in summer 2013 before following his compatriot to West Ham United in June this year, could not help but smile when he learned of Klopp's arrival at Anfield. "He is definitely going to bring some real excitement to this league," said the 32-year-old. "I think the media guys are going to love him because he is very intelligent, he is funny and he is very successful. "I am very happy for him and his staff, Zeljko Buvac and Peter Krawietz, and I think basically it's going to be a great, great deal for Liverpool, for the city and for the whole region because he is very emotional and he will bring euphoria to the whole club and to the whole region. For their supporters I think it's going to be great, too." I think basically it's going to be a great, great deal for Liverpool, for the city and for the whole region
Edin Terzic
Klopp's infectious personality, enthusiasm and passion made him a popular figure among Dortmund fans, but it was the bespectacled 48-year-old's outstanding achievement in making Borussia Germany's top club ahead of Bayern Munich that really set him apart. As someone who worked as a member of Klopp's technical staff, why does Terzic believe his former colleague was so successful at the Westfalenstadion? "He loves to have like an organised chaos, if you know what I mean!" the Hammers coach smiled. "What I mean is that there are rules in defence for organisation, but in the offense it is as fast as possible and scoring as many goals as possible, so for watching their games it is very good."
New Kop king Klopp announced himself to the British media on Friday morning by labelling himself 'The Normal One', when asked to give himself a Jose Mourinho-esque nickname. Terzic agreed with that self-assessment, before being asked for a single word to describe his current boss Bilic. After a long period of thought, the first-team coach's response was one which will encourage all Hammers fans. "If you are searching for one word to describe Slaven, he is the 'The Ambitious One!'."
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Chadwell Chatter - Mauro Zarate
WHUFC.com
Hola,
I feel good again now after getting over the injury I had earlier in the season. The injury was an important one, touching the tendon, but now it has gone and I feel strong. We couldn't rush it, but I'm ready to play again. I'm strong and fast and available if I'm selected. The international break is good for me because I can work on the training pitch more than normal to be perfect – at 100 per cent for the next match. I'm pleased to have scored two goals this season, and now I'm fit again I want to play more, to score goals and do well for the team. That is my job. Scoring on the first day of the season at the Emirates Stadium against Arsenal was a fantastic feeling, but I want to score more goals! All the team is doing well and we're high up the league table. I think we could have won the last match against Sunderland, but they defended well. It was a good point for us really after coming back, and now we have a really difficult match against Crystal Palace next. We will have to be at our best to take the points there. I've got good memories there – I scored on my West Ham debut at Selhurst Park last year – and I hope for another goal this time.
Mauro
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Valencia returns in friendly thriller
WHUFC.com
Enner Valencia made a successful return to action, while Andy Carroll got on the scoresheet as a West Ham United XI were edged out by Reading in seven-goal friendly thriller at the Boleyn Ground on Friday. Slaven Bilic will be thrilled to see Valencia back on the pitch after he picked up a serious knee and ankle injury in the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round first leg against Astra Giurgiu at the start of August. The Ecuador international has made a speedy recovery and managed to play the final 20 minutes of a seven goal thriller at the Boleyn Ground, making an immediate impact when he set up Carroll for a clinical finish late in the game. Bilic will also be pleased to see Carroll back on the scoresheet as he got a full 90 minutes under his belt and will be pushing hard for a first-team place ahead of the London derby against Crystal Palace on 17 October. With the international break taking place, the Hammers manager used the opportunity to name a strong line-up which included summer signings Nikica Jelavic and Michail Antonio, while Manuel Lanzini, James Tomkins, Pedro Obiang and Mauro Zarate were also included.
Club skipper Mark Noble, Dimitri Payet and Victor Moses were also introduced as substitutes in the second half of an open, thrilling game marked by two outstanding goals from Zarate.
Reading opened the scoring on 22 minutes and doubled the lead from the penalty spot just two minutes later after Tomkins was adjudged to have given away a foul inside the penalty box.
But the Hammers bit back on 35 minutes when Carroll's low shot came back off the post. The rebound fell to Zarate and he made no mistake, striking the ball into the roof of the net via the inside of the post. The Argentina striker then brought the home side level in spectacular fashion on 39 minutes when he raced towards the Reading box and fired an unstoppable shot which sailed into the roof of the net from 30 yards.
The Hammers could have taken the lead on 50 minutes when Zarate's corner picked out Carroll who saw his powerful close-range header kept out by the Reading goalkeeper. The rebound fell nicely to Oxford but he was caught off-balance and could only launch his shot over the bar. Instead, it was Reading who added a third on 59 minutes and they took control of the game on 72 minutes to make it 4-2. The game finished on a high note as Valencia made an impact as a substitute as he raced clear into the penalty box and cut the ball back for Carroll who made no mistake striking his shot into the back of the net. Reading held on for the victory, but Bilic will be able to take a number of positives from the performance as the team prepare for the big London derby at Selhurst Park next weekend.
West Ham United XI: Spiegel, Knoyle (Browne 71), Tomkins (Onariase 60), Oxford (Chambers 71), Hendrie (Page 46); Zarate (Payet 60mins), Obiang (Moses 60), Lanzini (Noble 46), Antonio (Valencia 71), Carroll, Jelavic
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Randolph thrilled at Irish win
WHUFC.com
Darren Randolph might not have expected to play a pivotal role in the Republic of Ireland's 1-0 victory over Germany on Thursday night - but he made sure he relished it. The Hammers stopper was named on the bench for the Aviva Stadium meeting with Joachim Low's World Cup winners, but entered the fray a minute before the break after Shay Given suffered a groin injury. Randolph provided the assist for Shane Long's 70th minute winner - a goal that keeps them in contention for automatic qualification for Euro 2016 - and he was thrilled his third cap came in such enjoyable circumstances. "I wasn't expecting it. I was literally just told I was going on and ran from the changing room out to the side of the pitch. Before I knew it I was on there playing," he said. "The atmosphere at the end was unbelievable. All I wanted was the ref to blow the whistle. It seemed like ten minutes instead of four added on. "It was great to play. The result is one that's going to go down in the history books. "A few of the boys said it in inside. It's brilliant to be part of it and it sets us up brilliantly for Sunday."
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Olympic Stadium: New details on West Ham deal revealed
By Frank Keogh
BBC Sport
West Ham will not have to pay for a range of staff including cleaners and turnstile operators when they move into the Olympic Stadium next year. Heating and lighting costs will also be covered by the stadium managers, the London Legacy Development Corporation. The LLDC denies the sums are being funded by the taxpayer, saying use of the stadium - including rental fees - will generate additional revenue. Ex-Leyton Orient chairman Barry Hearn wants the whole deal to be made public. "There shouldn't be any secrets on this - it's taxpayers' money - and we have every right to know the full deal," he told BBC Sport. A decision on the LLDC's appeal against a ruling to release full details of the deal is unlikely to be made for several months. It has released a copy of the 207-page document with less redacted sections than previously, but the amount of rent West Ham will be paying annually has not been revealed as this is considered to be commercially sensitive information. West Ham's vice-chairman Karren Brady says she fought for the best deal, but denies this was at the expense of taxpayers. The agreement indicates that the Hammers will have to make extra payments if they finish in the top 10 of the Premier League and/or qualify for Europe.
Cost of transforming the stadium
Of the £272m total transformation costs, £15m is being provided by West Ham, with £1m coming from UK Athletics. The stadium will have an initial 54,000 capacity and stage other events including rugby union matches and motorsport. Work has included installing a new 45,000 square metre cantilever roof, twice the size of the original, covering all the seats - it will be the largest of its kind in the world.
The local borough of Newham is contributing £40m, and national government £25m, with the remainder coming from a variety of sources, including Olympic Park land sales. Retractable seating for 21,000 spectators is being fitted to allow the athletics track to be used in the summer, and the venue will host the 2017 World Athletics Championships.
What will be provided for West Ham?
In August, the BBC revealed a large number of "facilities and services" would be paid for by the grantor - the publicly-funded LLDC - and not the club. These included the cost of stadium utilities, maintaining the pitch, and the goalposts and corner flags. Below is a list of other items, outlined in the agreement made public on Thursday, which the Hammers will not have to fund:
Undersoil heating and floodlighting
Ticket office and turnstiles
Drug testing and medical facilities
Concession areas cleared of snow and ice as required
Team changing rooms, plus changing rooms for ball persons and officials
Security, cleaning, pest control
Stadium tannoy, generator, CCTV surveillance system and monitors
LED pitch-side signage, scoreboards and jumbo video screens at each end of the pitch
What are West Ham paying for?
The Hammers are paying £15m towards the transformation costs of the stadium, and reportedly £2m to £2.5m rent annually as part of a 99-year lease. West Ham will also have to fork out a different amount each year based on which division the club is playing in, with the cost rising for every position they finish 10th or above in the Premier League. Additional fees will be charged if they win the FA Cup, qualify for the Europa League or Champions League, and should they triumph in those tournaments.
What do the main players say?
West Ham - Vice-chairman Karren Brady: "It has been reported that we got a good deal but it is worth remembering that West Ham went through three arduous, fair, competitive and thoroughly robust bidding processes. And the fact is we came out unanimously and convincingly on top each and every time. "Without us, all of the colour, vibrancy, revenue and, crucially, jobs we've seen return to east London this summer would not be there, as our 99-year tenancy was essential in underwriting the stadium's other uses. "During the negotiations, did I do the best deal I could for West Ham United? Of course I did, that's my job, but not at the expense of the taxpayer. I think what is very clear to anyone reading the agreement for the first time, is just how determined I was to protect the rights of West Ham United and our fans during the negotiations, while also ensuring it was fair to the taxpayer."
Barry Hearn - Former Leyton Orient chairman who lost a legal battle for the club to groundshare with West Ham: "I'm absolutely sure, eventually, that they will be told to release all the details because it should be in the public domain. "The argument that it's commercially sensitive treats the taxpayer like they are children. West Ham are an anchor tenant - they have a long-term deal which is not going to be replicated by anybody else. "There's some very big holes - we haven't had the rent confirmed - so we can't say whether this is a good deal or a bad deal. If the policing, for example, is included in the rental agreement, that could come to a very sizeable amount of money. We don't know the share of catering income or naming rights. "We are being drip-fed the occasional titbit without knowing the overall package."
The LLDC: "Once the transformation of the stadium is complete it will not require continuous subsidy from the taxpayer and will see a return to the taxpayer through future profits due to the agreements in place with the operator Vinci and concessionaires West Ham United and UK Athletics. "The stadium will contribute to the ongoing and hugely successful regeneration programme already being delivered at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park."
Finer details of the deal
Two stands will be branded - one as the Bobby Moore Stand and another as the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand.
West Ham must offer up to 100,000 general admission tickets each season to residents of the borough of Newham
The process has begun to find a new stadium sponsor, who would hold naming rights.
Seating in the front row of the lower tier must be between 10 metres and 20 metres from the edge of the playing surface.
Will full details of the deal be released?
While the LLDC says it has provided "substantial" additional details and it is "committed to maximum transparency", much remains out of the public domain. In the first 100 pages of the agreement, half of the pages contain sections which have been blacked out - with large passages covering stadium naming rights, and policing, redacted. The Information Commissioner, an independent authority set up to uphold information rights in the public interest, ruled the whole deal should be made public after football supporters submitted a Freedom of Information request to obtain the tenancy agreement. But the LLDC has appealed against that decision and a tribunal - likely to consist of three court judges - will hear the case, although this is not expected to take place for another four to six months.
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Darren Randolph: From hoop dreams to Euro 2016 heroics
By Ciaran McCauley
BBC News NI
Darren Randolph kept a clean sheet and set-up Shane Long's winning goal on his first competitive appearance for the Republic He's the County Wicklow-born goalkeeper with US roots who became the Republic of Ireland's unlikely Euro 2016 hero on Thursday night. Darren Randolph made his first competitive appearance for the Republic, coming off the bench to replace the injured Shay Given against world champions Germany. By full-time, Randolph was celebrating an incredible victory - he'd kept a clean sheet, and set-up Shane Long for the winning goal. His assured performance may have surprised many fans - but not his father Ed, who first came to Ireland as a professional basketball player in Belfast in the early 1980s. "Nothing fazes him," he said. "When I saw he was coming off the bench, my heart was in my throat. "That moment will be etched in my mind forever," he said. "My heart skipped a beat when he got off the bench - when he strapped on the gloves, I got emotional. "But he just takes everything in his stride."
It is a quality Darren most likely inherited from his Florida-born father. Ed Randolph signed for Sporting Belfast in 1982 after playing college basketball at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island.
'Bombings and shootings'
At the time, the sport was enjoying a boom period in Ireland. Ed was one of the first professional US players to be imported into the growing league - although he admits he didn't quite know what he was getting himself into. "I got a call from a guy called Fergus Woods, they wanted to bring me over to play and after I spoke to him I called my brother," he said. "When I told my brother I might play in Ireland, my brother asked me: 'Is it Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland?' "I asked him why, and he said: 'Uh Ted Koppel, ABC News, Londonderry, bombings, shootings, murders...' - so I called Fergus back and asked him if it was in Northern Ireland. "He cut me off and said: 'Look Ed, none of that stuff ever comes into sport here.' So I agreed to come over." When Ed landed in Belfast, he said it was "just like a movie". "There was fog, mist, sheep grazing on the side of the road on the way from the airport" he laughed.
'Scared'
But the atmosphere in Belfast, just a year after the hunger strikes, was extremely tense - as Ed and his teammates were soon to find out.
"We were coming back from a game in Belfast when this dark Ford Cortina swerved in front of our car and stopped us," he said. "These guys wearing all-black with Uzis got out of the car. Immediately, I thought: 'I'm going to die.' My life flashed before my eyes. "I mean we were all big guys from outside of Ireland, but we were scared. "It turned out they were looking for someone else and they let us go - but the whole thing made a big impression on all of us." Coming from Tallahassee in Florida, Ed said he was accustomed to segregation and conflict among communities but nothing could prepare him for Belfast. "I left in Christmas 1983 to play in Liverpool and I slept a lot better," he admitted. "But I did enjoy the city, in particular the people. They were fantastic."
'Accidental goalkeeper'
Ed returned to Ireland later that decade and played with various clubs across the Republic of Ireland, before marrying and having his son, Darren, in 1987. Now working as PE teacher and basketball coach, he says Darren's sporting potential was obvious from an early age - he played Gaelic football and rugby to a high level as a youth and even became an international basketball player for Ireland in 2003. But his goalkeeping career started almost by accident. "He had gone to play with some friends, and the keeper didn't show up" Ed said. "So Darren went in goal. Next thing, the team want him to be the goalkeeper. "The coach would even say to me: 'Look, I'll come round and get Darren, you don't have to worry about dropping him off.' They really wanted him there," he said. His career since has taken him from the youth ranks at Charlton Athletic to West Ham, via Motherwell and Birmingham City, and now to the international stage, where he looks set to become a cult fan favourite. Some even took to social media after Thursday's heroics to compose a chant in his Randolph's honour - Randolph the Red-Booted Goalie. The 28-year-old now looks likely to start in goal when the Republic take on Poland on Sunday, where a win will see them qualify for Euro 2016. "What happened on Thursday hasn't really sunk in yet," said Ed. "But Darren will just take it one step at a time and if the management decide to play him on Sunday, he'll be ready."
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Randy the hero as Ireland keep Euro hopes alive
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 9th October 2015
By: Staff Writer
Darren Randolph was an unlikely hero as Ireland sunk World Champions Germany last night to keep Irish hopes of qualifying for Euro 2016 alive. West Ham United's reserve goalkeeper was a substitute for the Irish in last night's European Championship qualifier but was called upon in the final few minutes of the first half when number one Shay Given twisted his knee whilst taking a goal kick. And with just 21 minutes left to play - and with the game locked at 0-0 - Randolph's long goal kick caught the German defence unaware, allowing Shane Long to run through and despatch the winning goal beyond Manuel Neuer. "I wasn't expecting the opportunity [to play]," Randolph told reporters after the game. "When I was told I was going on I ran from the changing room to the side of the pitch and before I knew it, I was on there playing! "I knew I'd be busy and was just thankful to make the saves. It was my first assist - and I meant it as well! I'm happy that it fell to one of our players and it was a bonus that Shane scored from it. "I'll have to watch it back as I can't really remember what happened. The atmosphere at the end was unbelievable and all I wanted was for the ref to blow his whistle. It seemed like ten minutes, instead of one minute, added on! "But it was great to play in the game tonight and a great result. It's one that'll go down in the history books. It's brilliant to be part of and sets us up for Sunday."
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It's a win-win situation, says Brady
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 9th October 2015
By: Staff Writer
Karren Brady insists that the agreement granting West Ham United anchor tenancy of the Olympic Stadium from next summer will prove beneficial to both West Ham supporters and the country as a whole. Brady, speaking in the wake of news that the LLDC are to contest the Information Commissioner's decision insisting that details of the commercial agreement between the legacy company and West Ham are made public, claims that the club has "nothing to hide". "I wanted to take this opportunity to address openly the intrigue, caused by the confidential nature of it, which, admittedly, has been minor and by people driven with their own agendas," she said. "We welcome that decision as, put simply, we have nothing to hide. "The agreement between West Ham and E20 represents a win for both parties. From our point of view, other than the personal affairs of my shareholders, we are happy to disclose the entire document. "However, quite clearly, E20 must continue to best serve the taxpayer through the negotiation of future contracts and users in the Stadium and it is therefore only right that details which affect their ability to do so remain confidential. "It has been reported that we got a good deal but it is worth remembering that West Ham went through three arduous, fair, competitive and thoroughly robust bidding processes. And the fact is we came out unanimously and convincingly on top each and every time. This is because we were the only bidder with a true vision for the Stadium and its ability to act as a catalyst for the regeneration of our part of East London."
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Allardyce returns as Sunderland boss
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 9th October 2015
By: Staff Writer
Former West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce has been appointed as the new manager of Sunderland. The 60-year-old, who left West Ham last May by mutual consent has returned to the Premier League just five months after departing the Boleyn Ground. Allardyce, who replaces Dick Advocaat with immediate effect has signed a two-year contract with the Black Cats. And unlike his first press conference at West Ham, Allardyce moved to bring the fans onside by praising them for their "tremendous passion". "I have enjoyed my break from football and now I'm raring to get back," he told safc.com. "I met with [Chairman] Ellis [Short] and we spoke at length about the club and his ambitions and I knew I wanted to be part of that. "I hope to be able to help to bring the stability and success that everyone wants. Of course it's a challenging job, but it's something I have experience of in the past. "I'm looking forward to working with the players and of course I will be relying on the help of the Sunderland supporters, whose tremendous passion I have experienced first-hand. I can't wait to get started."
Sunderland Chairman Short added: "I am very pleased to welcome Sam to our football club. Sunderland is a club he knows well and he was the obvious best choice for the job. "He has vast experience of managing in the Premier League and an understanding first-hand of the north east and the passion of our fans, which will stand him in great stead. "This was a very popular job, proactively sought after by a large number of managers - contrary to much of what has been portrayed. The process was made easier by the fact that Sam was such an obvious choice. "The other misconception is that Sam had to be persuaded to join us; nothing could be further from the truth. From the very beginning, he understood the importance of this job and showed great enthusiasm for the role and a desire to be part of moving this club forward."
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'Clicka' Bacon loses limb in hospital op
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 9th October 2015
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's most famous photographer Steve Bacon is facing an uncertain future after losing a leg. Bacon, who worked closely with the club for many years had his lower left limb amputated today as a result of complications with diabetes, from which he has suffered for some time. And in a heartfelt message to friends and followers, he admitted that he may have to find a new home following the emergency operation. "Tragically have lost my left leg to this damn diabetes," he wrote on his timeline this afternoon. "Life will never be the same for me and my future remains uncertain as to where I might have to live and how much care I will need. "I very much doubt I can ever go back to the Bacon family home in Essex Road. Onwards and upwards as they say ..... to my personal friends on Facebook, I may need to call on you for practical help in the days to come. God Bless."
Bacon was a popular figure with supporters through the eighties and nineties when he was regularly spotted on the touchline snapping the first team in action. Three years ago he published his memoirs in a book, entitles 'There's Only One Stevie Bacon' - which also happens to be the popular refrain sung to the legendary [photographer by travelling Hammers fans. On behalf of all our readers, Knees up Mother Brown would like to wish Steve all the very best for the immediate future.
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Bilic admits interest in Beskitas stars
KUMb.com
Filed: Friday, 9th October 2015
By: Staff Writer
Slaven Bilic has revealed he is keeping tabs on several players at his former club Besiktas. Bilic, speaking in the October edition of Socrates admitted that he was interested in bringing on or two of his former employees to London in the near future - including Turkish international winger Gokham Tore. "BeÅŸiktas is a huge club with a strong squad," he told the magazine. "Quite a few of the players are good enough to play for West Ham and I am interested in them. "Gokhan is a legend; he is a top guy and a great player. Of course I would love to have him in the team [at West Ham]. I tried to sign him at the start of the season, but it was not the right time." Another player Bilic is strongly interesting in bringing to the Boleyn Ground is midfielder Oguzhan Ozyakup, who features alongside Tore in tyhe Turkish national team. The 23-year-old, who was born in the Netherlands started life in the Premier League with Arsenal but failed to make a single appearance for the Gunners before moving to Turkey. Signed by Besiktas for just €500,000 three years ago, Ozyakup made 32 appearances for his club last season, scoring three goals and providing eight assists.
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West Ham won't pay for ticket checkers, medical staff or cleaners at Olympic Stadium
By Amy Lewis, Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 09/10/15 1:41pm
SSN
Taxpayers will foot the bill for ticket checkers, medical staff and cleaners at games when West Ham move to the Olympic Stadium, Sky Sport News HQ can reveal. The club also will not have to pay for turnstile operators, much of the security and steward personnel and catering staff on match days. West Ham have agreed to rent the £700m Olympic Stadium for 99 years from the start of the 2016/17 season.
The London Legacy Development Corporation is appealing against a ruling to publish the rental contract in full, a process that could take up to six months. It has, however, issued the contract to Sky Sports News HQ with fewer redactions than previously published, but crucially has not revealed how much rent West Ham will be paying.
The contract shows that West Ham will have to pay a different amount each year, depending on which league the club are playing in and a higher amount for every position they finish 10th or above in the Premier League. The club will also have to pay an additional fee if they win the FA Cup or qualify for the Europa League or Champions League. The contract even makes provision for an additional payment should they win the Europa League or Champions League, even though they have never qualified for the latter.
The deal also leaves the possibility open for the Olympic Stadium to host American Football games, with the contract indicating space is available specifically for football, rugby and NFL goal posts. West Ham will pay £15m as a one-off fee towards the conversion and the taxpayer will benefit from profit made by food and beverage sales as well as from the naming rights deal.
A London Legacy Development Corporation spokesman told SSNHQ that the venue is multi-purpose and not owned by West Ham, but their rent contributes towards the costs as does other revenues generated such as catering. "We have lodged an appeal against the Information Commissioner's judgment," the spokesman said. "This follows careful consideration, informed by legal advice, and is limited to a smaller number of redactions. "The appeal relates only to information which if released could significantly reduce the level of financial return to the taxpayer as it would undermine negotiations with future users of the Stadium and other partners. We have listened to the Commissioner's comments and as a public body are committed to maximising transparency. "As a result we have now published more details of the agreement with West Ham United in all areas that fall outside the scope of our appeal."
West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady says West Ham are happy for the entire document to be disclosed, with the exception of the personal affairs of their shareholders. She said: "During the negotiations, did I do the best deal I could for West Ham United? Of course I did, that's my job, but not at the expense of the taxpayer. "I think what is very clear to anyone reading the agreement for the first time, is just how determined I was to protect the rights of West Ham United and our fans during the negotiations, while also ensuring it was fair to the taxpayer."
West Ham say the club will be investing a further estimated £7m ahead of their move next year to ensure the Olympic Stadium "looks and feels" like home.
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Gold's rapid "binocular" response
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 9, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H
Irons co chairman David Gold has again been forced to defend the Olympic Stadium views. DG – a regular visitor to Twitter – has been at the end of another sarcastic comment regarding the likely views available of Premier League football at the club's new home.
The hardy annual was raised again when a follower declared: "@andrewb_63 @davidgold @whufc_official Free binoculars with every ticket😂😂😂
Long suffering Gold – faced with the same sort of jobe regularly in the past – chose not to produce one of his witty one liners but instead made his position clear.
Instead he said: "You don't need binoculars at Wembley and you won't need them at the Olympic stadium. dg"
Yesterday ClaretandHugh published a story here from a Hammers fan who, having attended his season ticket interview and used the seat at a rugby international. Jack Miles messaged us to say: "If I'm honest I was worried if they'd make it look better on the computer than it really was but I think the view is actually better when you're there. It was superb over there! Really excited for next season!" Jack's season ticket is Band 2 Block 233 row 51
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Media get OS deal all wrong again!
Posted by Sean Whetstone on October 9, 2015 in Sean's Blogs, Whispers
C and H
Sky Sports, the Guardian and the Daily Mirror have all run stories today suggesting that the tax payer will foot the bills for medical staff, cleaners and the majority of stewards at the Olympic Stadium. The claims follow the release of the agreement by the London Legacy Development Corporation yesterday which reveals more details of the previously confidential deal between the LLDC and West Ham for the rental of the Stadium.
These headlines are very misleading as the tax payer will not be further funding the stadium and the bills will actually be paid by stadium operator Vinci on behalf of stadium owner E20 Stadium LLP which is owned by both the LLDC and Newham council. OS2The Stadium is expected to make a very conservative £200,000 profit per year so all running costs are included and not paid by the tax payer. West Ham will pay a rent of £2.5m rent but pay further bonuses on Premier league positions above tenth place.
The club will also pay extra if they win the FA Cup, Europa League or the Champions league plus extra cash if they qualify for Europa League or Champions League. The rent and bonuses are also index linked meaning it will increase with inflation over the 99 year term.
When you add the Stadium naming rights, the LED wrap and pitch side advertising, catering and pouring profits and renting the stadium out to Rugby, NFL American Football, music concerts plus other possible renters then it doesn't take a rocket science to work out that the tax payer will be in profit with regards to operating the system.
This is another attempt by the media to blame West Ham over a deal it won fair and square and try to get London tax payers riled up upset that they are footing the bill for us to play in a stadium that no-one wanted.
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Fergie: 'Ravel Morrison might be the saddest case'
Posted by Sean Whetstone on October 9, 2015 in News
C and H
Sir Alex Ferguson has spoken how painful it was to sell Ravel Morrison to West Ham explaining he was probably the saddest case of a player with enormous talent who was unable to control his inner demons. His comments are made in his recently-released book about leadership, entitled 'Leading', in which he picks out Morrison as a player simply unable to deal with the stresses, opportunities and pitfalls of modern life as a football professional. "Sadly, there are examples of players who have similar backgrounds to Giggs or Cristiano Ronaldo, who, despite enormous talent, just aren't emotionally or mentally strong enough to overcome the hurts of their childhood and their inner demons," he said. "Ravel Morrison might be the saddest case. He possessed as much natural talent as any youngster we ever signed, but kept getting into trouble. It was very painful to sell him to West Ham in 2012 because he could have been a fantastic player." "But, over a period of years, the problems off the pitch continued to escalate and we had little option but to cut the cord."
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Hammers striker out on loan
Posted by Sean Whetstone on October 9, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H
Chelmsford City have announced the one month loan signing of West Ham Academy promising striker Jordan Brown.
Brown will go straight into Saturday's Emirates FA Cup squad for Chelmsford to face Basingstoke.
The pacy 18-year-old joined West Ham from Arsenal in 2013, scoring seven goals in the 2013/14 campaign for the Hammers' Under-18s. He then moved into the club's Development Squad where he netted three times.
The youngster signed a new contract earlier this year keeping him at the club until June 2016. He told the club's website "I'm delighted to have signed a new contract. I'm happy the club has faith in me to give me another year to push on and try and prove myself.I heard I was going to get a new contract in about January or February and I was very happy. I've known about it for a while but it's good to actually sign it."
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OS knockers bring WHUFC family together again
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 9, 2015 in Hugh's Blogs, News, Whispers
C and H
The flood of publicity surrounding the OS and the various attacks from other fans groups has had one effect – the West Ham Family has reunited.
Just cast your minds back a few months to the lousy atmosphere that surrounded the issue – the haters were constantly out on Twitter complaining about everything and anything to do with the stadium.
The club appeared to be on the back foot. Blimey, there was even a major debate about whether the move should involve a new badge with the word London appearing upon it.
Furious exchanges were taking place daily – hourly and David Gold was often abused on Twitter on all things OS.
But then the tide started to turn and when when virtually every media organisation led by the BBC and , supported by the likes of Barry Hearn plus around 15 supporters groups, started to kick hell out of us as a club the 'Family' cried "enough is enough."
I'm not sure I've ever heard the word taxpayer mentioned so many times – the only argument it seems – against the fact that we had made by far the best offer and passed through a rigourous bidding process.
A siege mentality set in and the Irons family collectively got the hump. From a "stuff the stadium" stance suddenly things turned and it became "our stadium."
Jealously – which had prompted the attacks on us – probably did more than any concerted and expensive public relation campaign to promote the stadium.
There will always be an ill informed few on Twitter wanting to make an issue out of things and get a brief second of glory by attempting to ride on DG's name.
The chairman swats them away like the irritating flies which indeed they are.
So thanks BBC and all the rest of you. What you have managed to demonstrate is that we as family as moan at and about each other as much as we like.
But let anyone else do it and there will be hell to pay!
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Hammers pour cold water on loan plan
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 9, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H
Serie A side Napoli are reported as wanting to take Pedro Obiang from us and are hoping to complete a loan swoop for in January.
Bapoli are believed to have been keen at the time Obiang plumped for Upton Park but apparently are refusing to give up on a deal.
However, Upton Park sources are saying this morning there is absolutely no chance of a deal happening with one highly placed insider telling ClaretandHugh: "Those days are over – we are operating on a different playing field and want all our squad players as we move forward.
According to Per Sempre Napoli, the hope is for him to go on loan to them for the remainder of the season after January.
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West Ham striker Andy Carroll set to play in behind-closed-doors friendly after ankle injury
0 COMMENTS 14:25, 9 OCT 2015 UPDATED 14:26, 9 OCT 2015
BY DARREN LEWIS
Carroll picked up the problem soon after coming on as a substitute in the home draw against Norwich City two weeks ago
The Mirror
Andy Carroll is set to play in a behind-closed-doors game for West Ham today as he steps up his recovery from his latest injury. The Hammers' England striker, 26, was kicked in the ankle soon after coming on as a substitute in the club's 2-2 draw at home to Norwich two weeks ago. He was sent for scans ahead of West Ham's 2-2 draw at Sunderland last Saturday and while he was given the all-clear ahead of that match the Irons left him out, deciding against taking any chances. The club are confident, however, that he will be back for their trip to Crystal Palace after the international break. In a further boost, forward Enner Valencia, defender Angelo Ogbonna and midfielder Alex Song have all been training this week and are also expected to be available soon.
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Taxpayers to foot bills for some services at West Ham's Olympic Stadium
• Medical staff, cleaners and some security will be paid from public purse
• LLDC appealing against publication of full contract with West Ham
Guardian sport
Friday 9 October 2015 15.04 BST Last modified on Friday 9 October 2015 15.25 BST
West Ham's deal to use the Olympic Stadium from next season includes provisions for a number of services to be financed by the taxpayer, including medical staff, cleaners and the majority of stewards and security staff. The Premier League side, who are scheduled to leave Upton Park at the end of the season for their new home, have signed a 99-year lease for the stadium in Stratford, east London. Last month, the information commissioner ruled the terms of the deal between the London Legacy Development Corporation and West Ham should be made public, although the LLDC has since appealed. However, the planning authority for the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park has released a copy of the contract with fewer redactions than originally published, which reveals the club will have to pay a different amount each year depending on where they finish in the league. That includes an additional fee if they win the FA Cup or qualify for the uropa League or Champions League, while the stadium could also be used for NFL matches under the terms of the deal. The document also reveals that taxpayers will foot the bill for cleaners, medical staff, turnstile operators and ticket checkers, as well as some security personnel and catering staff. It is already known that West Ham will pay only £15m of the £272m needed to make the 54,000-capacity stadium suitable for Premier League football, athletics and other events. The annual rental agreement on the 99-year lease is believed to be around £2.5m, although the true figure has never been confirmed.
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SHOTS SIGN HAMMER MAVILA
09/10/2015
shots.co.uk
Aldershot Town have signed 19 year-old left-sided player Nathan Mavila from West Ham United on a loan deal until Sunday 8 November. Born in Brixton to Congolese parents, Mavila can play as a full-back or winger. He joined the Hammers from Wycombe Wanderers in 2012, aged 16, and spent two months on loan at Conference South side Wealdstone between January and March 2015.
A regular in the West Ham Development squad, he was an unused substitute for the first-team in August's Europa League tie against Romanian side Astra Giurgiu. Nathan will wear shirt number 21 and is available for selection for tomorrow's Vanarama National League game against Altrincham at the EBB Stadium.
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Morgan Amalfitano's rollercoaster: the best and worst of French star's short West Ham career
HITC
Damien Lucas
Morgan Amalfitano's West Ham United career was something of a rollercoaster, filled with as many downs as ups. The French midfielder, who had fallen out with new boss Slaven Bilic, left the Hammers by mutual consent after a short spell in East London which saw him make 32 appearances and score three goals. He was actually included in Bilic's 25-man squad for the Premier League this season, which was something of a surprise given that the former Croatia boss had banished the ex West Bromich Albion star from the club's first team for a 'breach of rules' - as reported by the Evening Standard. Amalfitano had established himself as an important squad member under Sam Allardyce, but did not play any part in the West Ham first team since the club's ill-fated Europa League qualifying campaign.
'It's my job to protect the club'
Speaking in his column in the Evening Standard at the time, Bilic explained the rationale behind his decision to ostracise Amalfitano, which ultimately led to a parting of the ways: "I would just say that my first and foremost job is to protect the whole team - myself, the staff and players. "If I see anything or anyone threatening to harm the atmosphere and transgress those rules, then it has to be stopped." The Hammers should have the squad to cope without him as he leaves for pastures new, and here we take a look back at his three best and worst moments in the claret and blue.
The Best
3) Amalfitano was full of beans when he signed a new two-year deal back in March. He was happy because the deal meant he would be with the club when they embark on their big move to the 54,000 seater Olympic Stadium next summer, and it was a contract he had earned after a decent start to life in East London. He said at the time, to the club's official website: "I've not had a chance to see the Olympic Stadium yet but apparently it's a very, very beautiful stadium. So I'm very pleased to be a part of the project and I always want to please our fans, as much as possible." Didn't quite work out like that though did it Morgan?
2) Amalfitano's second best moment was his second goal for the club, which came on October 25 at home to Manchester City, when he netted the opener in a 2-1 victory over the reigning champions. After great work by Enner Valencia, Amalfitano was lurking at the far post to roll in probably the easiest goal of his career. But what made it special was the celebration. Still seemingly unaware of the layout of his new ground, Amalfitano celebrated by launching himself into the Manchester City fans. The visiting supporters didn't take too kindly to what they thought was Amalfitano rubbing their noses in it and he quickly made his escape to the sanctuary of the pitch, much to the delight of West Ham fans.
1) Ironically, Amalfitano's finest West Ham moment came on his home debut last September. Coming on in the second half and scoring his first goal against Liverpool to seal a 3–1 victory and secure the club's first home win of the season. It was an impudent finish too, striding into the box and rolling the ball into the corner with his toe.
The Worst
3) Amalfitano was one of few first-team regulars from last season to be used in Bilic's Europa League qualifying campaign during pre-season, and it showed. While most of the other first teamers were taking tentative steps in pre-season training to getting fit again, Amalfitano was used as one of the senior heads for far flung trips to Andorra, Malta and Romania. It was clear, though, that he did not have the appetite for it and took umbrage to what he probably saw as a bit of a demotion. Instead of rolling his sleeves up and proving himself to the new boss, he looked disinterested and hardly got involved, even being subbed off after just 50 minutes in one of the games.
2) Amalfitano lost his way towards the end of last season and found himself unable to hold down a regular place in the team. His frustrations boiled over when he got himself sent off within minutes of coming on as a second half substitute in West Ham's miserable 4-0 defeat to his old club West Brom in the FA Cup. Sam Allardyce labelled him 'unprofessional' afterwards.
1) The Frenchman's worst moment, and most damning indiscretion came before the start of the current season when, according to a report in the Mirror, he gave Bilic 'attitude'. The paper claimed Amalfitano had a list of his misdemeanours read to him before he was sent packing by Bilic after his latest breach of discipline. While he will undoubtedly have clubs interested in his services, he will have to wait until January until he is eligible to play again as his contract termination did not take place before the close of the summer transfer window.
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Napoli keen on Pedro Obiang, plan loan exchange involving Jonathan de Guzman
HITC
Billy Hawkins
West Ham midfielder Pedro Obiang is wanted by Napoli. According to Per Sempre Napoli, Serie A side Napoli are keen on signing Pedro Obiang from West Ham, and are planning a loan swoop for him in January. Obiang only moved to the Hammers in the summer transfer window, with Napoli one of the teams said to be keen on him at the same time. However, he opted to move from Sampdoria to England, and has so far impressed in the Premier League. The report claims that Napoli have already approached West Ham concerning a potential move for Obiang in January, planning the loan signing of him until the end of the season. It is stated that Napoli will sweeten the deal by offering Jonathan de Guzman in exchange, with the attacking midfielder out of favour in Naples.
A deal for Obiang will never happen
Despite Napoli's desire to sign the Spanish midfielder, the chances of bringing Obiang over the Italy in January are all but zero. He has established himself as a key player in Slaven Bilic's team, making seven appearances in all competitions, and there is no logical reason as to why West Ham would sell him. Napoli will definitely be looking elsewhere if they want to sign a new midfielder in January.
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Darren Randolph grabs his big opportunity with both hands
Goalkeeper had little time to think as he was pitted into action against world champions
irishtimes.com
Emmet Malone at Aviva Stadium
Thu, Oct 8, 2015, 23:28
Barely a week after Jack Grealish resolved his international future, Darren Randolph has finally done so too although in rather more style. The 28-year-old could have declared for the United States until he came on for the injured Shay Given shortly before half-time at the Aviva last night. It turned out to be a decent night to make your competitive international debut and a good one too to keep a clean sheet. "Yeah," he said with a slight shake of the head; "it'll go down in the history books and it's great to have been part of it. I wish I could go out and go back over it all again, to soak it up properly. But I've got some good memories of it to take away and there's no time really. We've got the game on Sunday. It'll be time to go again."
The memories will includes one standout save from Ilkay Gundogan and a succession of interventions that helped keep the Germans at bay. Randolph had suggested in his appearances for West Ham this season that he has what it takes to cope well at this level. Here, against the world champions, he finally got to prove it. There was, he admitted, one let off. When asked about the second-half strike from Thomas Muller that just about everybody in the stands thought was heading for the top scorner he admitted that he had briefly feared the worst himself. "The cut back from the cross? Yeah," he said before going on to acknowledge the relief he felt as he realised it had flown the far side of the post. His part in the game started so suddenly that there was simply no time for fear. "I just got the shout," he said of the moment the management team realised Given couldn't continue. "There was no time to think. I just got myself together and ran on there, just tried to get into the game as quickly as possible. I didn't have any time to think about it to be honest. We were in the warm up room and they just said, 'right, you're going on,' so I just everything off and ran out."
He played a big part in what followed, looking immensely composed even when he was at the heart of the action and even clocking up an assist for Ireland's goal but he hailed the collective effort. "Everybody was brilliant. Everyone who started the game, everyone who finished. We worked our socks off. All the blocks, the tackles, they did an unbelievable amount of running, I think that showed in terms of people getting cramps there towards the end but against a top team that's what you need to do; everybody needs to do a little more than normal; a little bit extra. "We knew we were going to have to defend. Obviously we didn't want to drop too far back because we wouldn't have been able to get out of our half but the fact that we didn't is down to how hard the lads worked. "But, he added, "we'd been disappointed with some of our displays; the ones against Scotland where we didn't perform. Since then, with every performance comes confidence. And then going into this game today, obviously we were hoping for that result in the other game and the rest was down to us." As it will be again on Sunday when it'll be time to go again.
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Mauro Zarate sends message to West Ham fans
HITC
Subhankar Mondal
Mauro Zarate is fully fit now and is raring to go for West Ham United. West Ham United forward Mauro Zarate has written on the club's official website that he is fully fit and raring to go.
The Argentine has struggled with injuries for most of the season so far, but he featured in the Hammers' last two Premier League games. The 28-year-old, who can also play as an attacking midfielder, played the last 10 minutes against Norwich City at the Boleyn Ground and the final 12 minutes against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. Zarate is now fully fit and he is eager to get more playing time for West Ham after the international break. "I feel good again now after getting over the injury I had earlier in the season," the former Lazio star wrote on West Ham's official website. "The injury was an important one, touching the tendon, but now it has gone and I feel strong. "We couldn't rush it, but I'm ready to play again. I'm strong and fast and available if I'm selected. "The international break is good for me because I can work on the training pitch more than normal to be perfect – at 100 per cent for the next match."
Zarate has scored one goal and created five chances in four Premier League appearances for West Ham so far this season. The former Velez Sarsfield star has a pass accuracy of 84% and a shot accuracy of 67%, and has won six dribbles and four tackles. West Ham are sixth in the Premier League table at the moment with 14 points from eight matches, just a point behind fourth-place Crystal Palace.
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West Ham provide Winston Reid injury update as trio step up rehab
London 24
08:57 09 October 2015 Pete Evans
Hammers defender Winston Reid should be available to feature against Crystal Palace next weekend. 4 The New Zealand centre-back came off in the 2-2 draw at Sunderland last weekend but the Hammers' medical team explained that the gap for the international break means he shouldn't miss any matches. ADVERTISING Winston Reid has been struggling for a while with a minor injury," Stijn Vandenbroucke, West Ham's head of medical and sport science, told the club's official website. "Winston came off in the game against Sunderland, but we are positive for a recovery for the next game." Andy Carroll (knee) and Angelo Ogbonna (hamstring) have both stepped up their comebacks and have trained all week along with Enner Valencia. (knee) Midfielder Alex Song remains on the road to recovery while youngster Doneil Henry is sidelined with a groin injury.
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WHUFC.com
I have watched with pride as a fantastic summer programme of events has seen so many thousands of sports fans from all corners of the globe flocking to the Olympic Stadium.
Anyone who questions the legacy of the 2012 Games has obviously not visited the Stadium this summer. If they had, they would have been professionally guided around by a local employee, relishing their new and important role. They would have witnessed a true athletics legacy, one that has already seen Usain Bolt and Mo Farah return for the Anniversary Games.
Or, perhaps, during these last three weeks they would have witnessed the spine-tingling moments as it played host to the international spectacle that is the Rugby World Cup. Thanks to the stunning acoustics of the Stadium's truly magnificent roof, national anthems and even the Haka reverberated around the famous venue and created an incredible atmosphere for those inside.
I certainly had goose bumps at the thought that only next summer this truly iconic landmark will host 54,000 of our magnificent supporters singing the anthem of East London – a chorus of Bubbles.
I am so proud that our vision for a true Olympic legacy is beginning to be realised and that our Club will continue to play a leading role in delivering it. Despite there still being plenty of work to do at the Stadium after the summer events programme has concluded, the reaction I have had from our supporters who went to watch the Rugby World Cup has been overwhelmingly positive.
I share the pride in what we have achieved in Stratford. We will be the anchor tenant and I am proud of the team I lead achieving such a positive result in our supporters' name.
In light of the LLDC's announcement that they are lodging an appeal against the Information Commissioner's judgment and the subsequent release of a more detailed version of our contract with them, I wanted to take this opportunity to address openly the intrigue, caused by the confidential nature of it, which, admittedly, has been minor and by people driven with their own agendas. We welcome that decision as, put simply, we have nothing to hide.
The agreement between West Ham and E20 represents a win for both parties. From our point of view, other than the personal affairs of my shareholders, we are happy to disclose the entire document.
However, quite clearly, E20 must continue to best serve the taxpayer through the negotiation of future contracts and users in the Stadium and it is therefore only right that details which affect their ability to do so remain confidential.
It has been reported that we got a good deal but it is worth remembering that West Ham went through three arduous, fair, competitive and thoroughly robust bidding processes. And the fact is we came out unanimously and convincingly on top each and every time.
This is because we were the only bidder with a true vision for the Stadium and its ability to act as a catalyst for the regeneration of our part of East London.
We saw the potential for the Stadium to be a truly world-class venue – the UK's No1 entertainment destination – and we stepped up, took the risk and nailed our colours to the mast, financially, and otherwise. We worked hard alongside the Mayor of London and our partners at the LLDC to find a long-term sustainable future for the Stadium.
Those involved are to be commended for their innovation. The ground-breaking transformation is down to their foresight. As a result, the Stadium now boasts retractable seats and the world's largest and most spectacular cantilevered roof. The outcome has been international sporting events flocking to use this stunning arena on the basis that it offers such a unique spectator experience and unrivalled sightlines.
I want to be clear though, the Stadium only gives us an opportunity. It needs to sit alongside a meticulously thought out player recruitment strategy, skilful and prudent custodianship of the Club's finances, an innovative business model for growth and, most of all, sheer hard work and determination to succeed.
Without us, all of the colour, vibrancy, revenue and, crucially, jobs we've seen return to East London this summer would not be there, as our 99 year tenancy was essential in underwriting the Stadium's other uses.
During the negotiations, did I do the best deal I could for West Ham United? Of course I did, that's my job, but not at the expense of the taxpayer. I think what is very clear to anyone reading the agreement for the first time, is just how determined I was to protect the rights of West Ham United and our fans during the negotiations, while also ensuring it was fair to the taxpayer.
Firstly, and most importantly, we have always promised our supporters that the Stadium will look and feel like home and that was made explicitly clear in the contract. Our Bobby Moore and Sir Trevor Brooking stands were legally guaranteed along with countless other opportunities to brand the Stadium and surrounding areas the West Ham way with our colours, honours and homage to our legends. Ultimately, anyone visiting the Stadium will be left in no doubt – this is the home of West Ham United.
There are also multiple clauses that will ensure the pitch and playing facilities will always meet the world-class specifications we enjoy at the Boleyn Ground. Those clauses protect us from any other use of the Stadium during the football season if we feel it would have an adverse effect on the pitch, playing facilities or our supporter experience.
The Overriding Priority Principle makes clear that our fixtures and events are ring-fenced and will always take priority over all other events that may be at the Stadium. This means we will always meet the responsibility we have to our governing bodies, including the Premier League, by ensuring our fixtures take precedence above any other user of the Stadium.
There have also been some ill-informed suggestions that my two Chairmen, David Sullivan and David Gold, plan to sell the Club as soon as we move to Stratford. Having worked with them for nearly 25 years, I can tell you that nothing is further from the truth.
That is why we were perfectly happy to include an Enterprise Clause, which would return significant sums of money to the taxpayer should the Club be sold.
Although the exact terms of the agreement have to remain confidential to protect our commercial interests, the numbers we are talking are huge – hundreds of millions of pounds.
It has been widely reported that we will be paying an annual rent of £2.5m a year plus a £15m capital contribution towards the conversion. While this would be far more than any of the other groups or organisations that will be using the Stadium, these figures do not come close to reflecting the total amount from which the taxpayer stands to benefit.
E20 take the lion's share of the catering sales and also the naming rights revenue. Plus they will benefit further by performance-related bonus payments that could amount to many millions of pounds a year should we finish higher than tenth in the Premier League, as we stand today.
Ahead of our move into the Stadium in June next year, the Club will be investing in the region of a further £7m into the Stadium to ensure it truly looks and feels like our home.
We have already revealed our stunning new claret and blue seat design and, subject to planning, we will make further major announcements on some other key elements over the coming months. These will include a new Ticket Office, Stadium Store, Visitor Centre, offices, Boardroom and a host of other infrastructure benefits.
As we have seen over the past week, the new Stadium will bring life to this part of East London and will spearhead the regeneration of the local area, with West Ham United at its core. In just ten months we will be kicking off a new Premier League season there, watched by over 4.4 billion people across the globe and the legacy of 2012 will be even closer to being fulfilled.
I, for one, can't wait!
Karren Brady
Vice-Chairman
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Terzic welcomes 'euphoric' Klopp
WHUFC.com
Edin Terzic has welcomed Jurgen Klopp to the Barclays Premier League after his former boss was appointed as Liverpool manager. West Ham United's first-team coach served as a scout and coach under Klopp during the German's hugely successful spell in charge of Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund, where the pair won back-to-back league titles and reached the 2013 UEFA Champions League final. Terzic, who left Dortmund to join Slaven Bilic's backroom staff at Turkish club Besiktas in summer 2013 before following his compatriot to West Ham United in June this year, could not help but smile when he learned of Klopp's arrival at Anfield. "He is definitely going to bring some real excitement to this league," said the 32-year-old. "I think the media guys are going to love him because he is very intelligent, he is funny and he is very successful. "I am very happy for him and his staff, Zeljko Buvac and Peter Krawietz, and I think basically it's going to be a great, great deal for Liverpool, for the city and for the whole region because he is very emotional and he will bring euphoria to the whole club and to the whole region. For their supporters I think it's going to be great, too." I think basically it's going to be a great, great deal for Liverpool, for the city and for the whole region
Edin Terzic
Klopp's infectious personality, enthusiasm and passion made him a popular figure among Dortmund fans, but it was the bespectacled 48-year-old's outstanding achievement in making Borussia Germany's top club ahead of Bayern Munich that really set him apart. As someone who worked as a member of Klopp's technical staff, why does Terzic believe his former colleague was so successful at the Westfalenstadion? "He loves to have like an organised chaos, if you know what I mean!" the Hammers coach smiled. "What I mean is that there are rules in defence for organisation, but in the offense it is as fast as possible and scoring as many goals as possible, so for watching their games it is very good."
New Kop king Klopp announced himself to the British media on Friday morning by labelling himself 'The Normal One', when asked to give himself a Jose Mourinho-esque nickname. Terzic agreed with that self-assessment, before being asked for a single word to describe his current boss Bilic. After a long period of thought, the first-team coach's response was one which will encourage all Hammers fans. "If you are searching for one word to describe Slaven, he is the 'The Ambitious One!'."
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Chadwell Chatter - Mauro Zarate
WHUFC.com
Hola,
I feel good again now after getting over the injury I had earlier in the season. The injury was an important one, touching the tendon, but now it has gone and I feel strong. We couldn't rush it, but I'm ready to play again. I'm strong and fast and available if I'm selected. The international break is good for me because I can work on the training pitch more than normal to be perfect – at 100 per cent for the next match. I'm pleased to have scored two goals this season, and now I'm fit again I want to play more, to score goals and do well for the team. That is my job. Scoring on the first day of the season at the Emirates Stadium against Arsenal was a fantastic feeling, but I want to score more goals! All the team is doing well and we're high up the league table. I think we could have won the last match against Sunderland, but they defended well. It was a good point for us really after coming back, and now we have a really difficult match against Crystal Palace next. We will have to be at our best to take the points there. I've got good memories there – I scored on my West Ham debut at Selhurst Park last year – and I hope for another goal this time.
Mauro
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Valencia returns in friendly thriller
WHUFC.com
Enner Valencia made a successful return to action, while Andy Carroll got on the scoresheet as a West Ham United XI were edged out by Reading in seven-goal friendly thriller at the Boleyn Ground on Friday. Slaven Bilic will be thrilled to see Valencia back on the pitch after he picked up a serious knee and ankle injury in the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round first leg against Astra Giurgiu at the start of August. The Ecuador international has made a speedy recovery and managed to play the final 20 minutes of a seven goal thriller at the Boleyn Ground, making an immediate impact when he set up Carroll for a clinical finish late in the game. Bilic will also be pleased to see Carroll back on the scoresheet as he got a full 90 minutes under his belt and will be pushing hard for a first-team place ahead of the London derby against Crystal Palace on 17 October. With the international break taking place, the Hammers manager used the opportunity to name a strong line-up which included summer signings Nikica Jelavic and Michail Antonio, while Manuel Lanzini, James Tomkins, Pedro Obiang and Mauro Zarate were also included.
Club skipper Mark Noble, Dimitri Payet and Victor Moses were also introduced as substitutes in the second half of an open, thrilling game marked by two outstanding goals from Zarate.
Reading opened the scoring on 22 minutes and doubled the lead from the penalty spot just two minutes later after Tomkins was adjudged to have given away a foul inside the penalty box.
But the Hammers bit back on 35 minutes when Carroll's low shot came back off the post. The rebound fell to Zarate and he made no mistake, striking the ball into the roof of the net via the inside of the post. The Argentina striker then brought the home side level in spectacular fashion on 39 minutes when he raced towards the Reading box and fired an unstoppable shot which sailed into the roof of the net from 30 yards.
The Hammers could have taken the lead on 50 minutes when Zarate's corner picked out Carroll who saw his powerful close-range header kept out by the Reading goalkeeper. The rebound fell nicely to Oxford but he was caught off-balance and could only launch his shot over the bar. Instead, it was Reading who added a third on 59 minutes and they took control of the game on 72 minutes to make it 4-2. The game finished on a high note as Valencia made an impact as a substitute as he raced clear into the penalty box and cut the ball back for Carroll who made no mistake striking his shot into the back of the net. Reading held on for the victory, but Bilic will be able to take a number of positives from the performance as the team prepare for the big London derby at Selhurst Park next weekend.
West Ham United XI: Spiegel, Knoyle (Browne 71), Tomkins (Onariase 60), Oxford (Chambers 71), Hendrie (Page 46); Zarate (Payet 60mins), Obiang (Moses 60), Lanzini (Noble 46), Antonio (Valencia 71), Carroll, Jelavic
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Randolph thrilled at Irish win
WHUFC.com
Darren Randolph might not have expected to play a pivotal role in the Republic of Ireland's 1-0 victory over Germany on Thursday night - but he made sure he relished it. The Hammers stopper was named on the bench for the Aviva Stadium meeting with Joachim Low's World Cup winners, but entered the fray a minute before the break after Shay Given suffered a groin injury. Randolph provided the assist for Shane Long's 70th minute winner - a goal that keeps them in contention for automatic qualification for Euro 2016 - and he was thrilled his third cap came in such enjoyable circumstances. "I wasn't expecting it. I was literally just told I was going on and ran from the changing room out to the side of the pitch. Before I knew it I was on there playing," he said. "The atmosphere at the end was unbelievable. All I wanted was the ref to blow the whistle. It seemed like ten minutes instead of four added on. "It was great to play. The result is one that's going to go down in the history books. "A few of the boys said it in inside. It's brilliant to be part of it and it sets us up brilliantly for Sunday."
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Olympic Stadium: New details on West Ham deal revealed
By Frank Keogh
BBC Sport
West Ham will not have to pay for a range of staff including cleaners and turnstile operators when they move into the Olympic Stadium next year. Heating and lighting costs will also be covered by the stadium managers, the London Legacy Development Corporation. The LLDC denies the sums are being funded by the taxpayer, saying use of the stadium - including rental fees - will generate additional revenue. Ex-Leyton Orient chairman Barry Hearn wants the whole deal to be made public. "There shouldn't be any secrets on this - it's taxpayers' money - and we have every right to know the full deal," he told BBC Sport. A decision on the LLDC's appeal against a ruling to release full details of the deal is unlikely to be made for several months. It has released a copy of the 207-page document with less redacted sections than previously, but the amount of rent West Ham will be paying annually has not been revealed as this is considered to be commercially sensitive information. West Ham's vice-chairman Karren Brady says she fought for the best deal, but denies this was at the expense of taxpayers. The agreement indicates that the Hammers will have to make extra payments if they finish in the top 10 of the Premier League and/or qualify for Europe.
Cost of transforming the stadium
Of the £272m total transformation costs, £15m is being provided by West Ham, with £1m coming from UK Athletics. The stadium will have an initial 54,000 capacity and stage other events including rugby union matches and motorsport. Work has included installing a new 45,000 square metre cantilever roof, twice the size of the original, covering all the seats - it will be the largest of its kind in the world.
The local borough of Newham is contributing £40m, and national government £25m, with the remainder coming from a variety of sources, including Olympic Park land sales. Retractable seating for 21,000 spectators is being fitted to allow the athletics track to be used in the summer, and the venue will host the 2017 World Athletics Championships.
What will be provided for West Ham?
In August, the BBC revealed a large number of "facilities and services" would be paid for by the grantor - the publicly-funded LLDC - and not the club. These included the cost of stadium utilities, maintaining the pitch, and the goalposts and corner flags. Below is a list of other items, outlined in the agreement made public on Thursday, which the Hammers will not have to fund:
Undersoil heating and floodlighting
Ticket office and turnstiles
Drug testing and medical facilities
Concession areas cleared of snow and ice as required
Team changing rooms, plus changing rooms for ball persons and officials
Security, cleaning, pest control
Stadium tannoy, generator, CCTV surveillance system and monitors
LED pitch-side signage, scoreboards and jumbo video screens at each end of the pitch
What are West Ham paying for?
The Hammers are paying £15m towards the transformation costs of the stadium, and reportedly £2m to £2.5m rent annually as part of a 99-year lease. West Ham will also have to fork out a different amount each year based on which division the club is playing in, with the cost rising for every position they finish 10th or above in the Premier League. Additional fees will be charged if they win the FA Cup, qualify for the Europa League or Champions League, and should they triumph in those tournaments.
What do the main players say?
West Ham - Vice-chairman Karren Brady: "It has been reported that we got a good deal but it is worth remembering that West Ham went through three arduous, fair, competitive and thoroughly robust bidding processes. And the fact is we came out unanimously and convincingly on top each and every time. "Without us, all of the colour, vibrancy, revenue and, crucially, jobs we've seen return to east London this summer would not be there, as our 99-year tenancy was essential in underwriting the stadium's other uses. "During the negotiations, did I do the best deal I could for West Ham United? Of course I did, that's my job, but not at the expense of the taxpayer. I think what is very clear to anyone reading the agreement for the first time, is just how determined I was to protect the rights of West Ham United and our fans during the negotiations, while also ensuring it was fair to the taxpayer."
Barry Hearn - Former Leyton Orient chairman who lost a legal battle for the club to groundshare with West Ham: "I'm absolutely sure, eventually, that they will be told to release all the details because it should be in the public domain. "The argument that it's commercially sensitive treats the taxpayer like they are children. West Ham are an anchor tenant - they have a long-term deal which is not going to be replicated by anybody else. "There's some very big holes - we haven't had the rent confirmed - so we can't say whether this is a good deal or a bad deal. If the policing, for example, is included in the rental agreement, that could come to a very sizeable amount of money. We don't know the share of catering income or naming rights. "We are being drip-fed the occasional titbit without knowing the overall package."
The LLDC: "Once the transformation of the stadium is complete it will not require continuous subsidy from the taxpayer and will see a return to the taxpayer through future profits due to the agreements in place with the operator Vinci and concessionaires West Ham United and UK Athletics. "The stadium will contribute to the ongoing and hugely successful regeneration programme already being delivered at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park."
Finer details of the deal
Two stands will be branded - one as the Bobby Moore Stand and another as the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand.
West Ham must offer up to 100,000 general admission tickets each season to residents of the borough of Newham
The process has begun to find a new stadium sponsor, who would hold naming rights.
Seating in the front row of the lower tier must be between 10 metres and 20 metres from the edge of the playing surface.
Will full details of the deal be released?
While the LLDC says it has provided "substantial" additional details and it is "committed to maximum transparency", much remains out of the public domain. In the first 100 pages of the agreement, half of the pages contain sections which have been blacked out - with large passages covering stadium naming rights, and policing, redacted. The Information Commissioner, an independent authority set up to uphold information rights in the public interest, ruled the whole deal should be made public after football supporters submitted a Freedom of Information request to obtain the tenancy agreement. But the LLDC has appealed against that decision and a tribunal - likely to consist of three court judges - will hear the case, although this is not expected to take place for another four to six months.
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Darren Randolph: From hoop dreams to Euro 2016 heroics
By Ciaran McCauley
BBC News NI
Darren Randolph kept a clean sheet and set-up Shane Long's winning goal on his first competitive appearance for the Republic He's the County Wicklow-born goalkeeper with US roots who became the Republic of Ireland's unlikely Euro 2016 hero on Thursday night. Darren Randolph made his first competitive appearance for the Republic, coming off the bench to replace the injured Shay Given against world champions Germany. By full-time, Randolph was celebrating an incredible victory - he'd kept a clean sheet, and set-up Shane Long for the winning goal. His assured performance may have surprised many fans - but not his father Ed, who first came to Ireland as a professional basketball player in Belfast in the early 1980s. "Nothing fazes him," he said. "When I saw he was coming off the bench, my heart was in my throat. "That moment will be etched in my mind forever," he said. "My heart skipped a beat when he got off the bench - when he strapped on the gloves, I got emotional. "But he just takes everything in his stride."
It is a quality Darren most likely inherited from his Florida-born father. Ed Randolph signed for Sporting Belfast in 1982 after playing college basketball at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island.
'Bombings and shootings'
At the time, the sport was enjoying a boom period in Ireland. Ed was one of the first professional US players to be imported into the growing league - although he admits he didn't quite know what he was getting himself into. "I got a call from a guy called Fergus Woods, they wanted to bring me over to play and after I spoke to him I called my brother," he said. "When I told my brother I might play in Ireland, my brother asked me: 'Is it Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland?' "I asked him why, and he said: 'Uh Ted Koppel, ABC News, Londonderry, bombings, shootings, murders...' - so I called Fergus back and asked him if it was in Northern Ireland. "He cut me off and said: 'Look Ed, none of that stuff ever comes into sport here.' So I agreed to come over." When Ed landed in Belfast, he said it was "just like a movie". "There was fog, mist, sheep grazing on the side of the road on the way from the airport" he laughed.
'Scared'
But the atmosphere in Belfast, just a year after the hunger strikes, was extremely tense - as Ed and his teammates were soon to find out.
"We were coming back from a game in Belfast when this dark Ford Cortina swerved in front of our car and stopped us," he said. "These guys wearing all-black with Uzis got out of the car. Immediately, I thought: 'I'm going to die.' My life flashed before my eyes. "I mean we were all big guys from outside of Ireland, but we were scared. "It turned out they were looking for someone else and they let us go - but the whole thing made a big impression on all of us." Coming from Tallahassee in Florida, Ed said he was accustomed to segregation and conflict among communities but nothing could prepare him for Belfast. "I left in Christmas 1983 to play in Liverpool and I slept a lot better," he admitted. "But I did enjoy the city, in particular the people. They were fantastic."
'Accidental goalkeeper'
Ed returned to Ireland later that decade and played with various clubs across the Republic of Ireland, before marrying and having his son, Darren, in 1987. Now working as PE teacher and basketball coach, he says Darren's sporting potential was obvious from an early age - he played Gaelic football and rugby to a high level as a youth and even became an international basketball player for Ireland in 2003. But his goalkeeping career started almost by accident. "He had gone to play with some friends, and the keeper didn't show up" Ed said. "So Darren went in goal. Next thing, the team want him to be the goalkeeper. "The coach would even say to me: 'Look, I'll come round and get Darren, you don't have to worry about dropping him off.' They really wanted him there," he said. His career since has taken him from the youth ranks at Charlton Athletic to West Ham, via Motherwell and Birmingham City, and now to the international stage, where he looks set to become a cult fan favourite. Some even took to social media after Thursday's heroics to compose a chant in his Randolph's honour - Randolph the Red-Booted Goalie. The 28-year-old now looks likely to start in goal when the Republic take on Poland on Sunday, where a win will see them qualify for Euro 2016. "What happened on Thursday hasn't really sunk in yet," said Ed. "But Darren will just take it one step at a time and if the management decide to play him on Sunday, he'll be ready."
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Randy the hero as Ireland keep Euro hopes alive
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 9th October 2015
By: Staff Writer
Darren Randolph was an unlikely hero as Ireland sunk World Champions Germany last night to keep Irish hopes of qualifying for Euro 2016 alive. West Ham United's reserve goalkeeper was a substitute for the Irish in last night's European Championship qualifier but was called upon in the final few minutes of the first half when number one Shay Given twisted his knee whilst taking a goal kick. And with just 21 minutes left to play - and with the game locked at 0-0 - Randolph's long goal kick caught the German defence unaware, allowing Shane Long to run through and despatch the winning goal beyond Manuel Neuer. "I wasn't expecting the opportunity [to play]," Randolph told reporters after the game. "When I was told I was going on I ran from the changing room to the side of the pitch and before I knew it, I was on there playing! "I knew I'd be busy and was just thankful to make the saves. It was my first assist - and I meant it as well! I'm happy that it fell to one of our players and it was a bonus that Shane scored from it. "I'll have to watch it back as I can't really remember what happened. The atmosphere at the end was unbelievable and all I wanted was for the ref to blow his whistle. It seemed like ten minutes, instead of one minute, added on! "But it was great to play in the game tonight and a great result. It's one that'll go down in the history books. It's brilliant to be part of and sets us up for Sunday."
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It's a win-win situation, says Brady
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 9th October 2015
By: Staff Writer
Karren Brady insists that the agreement granting West Ham United anchor tenancy of the Olympic Stadium from next summer will prove beneficial to both West Ham supporters and the country as a whole. Brady, speaking in the wake of news that the LLDC are to contest the Information Commissioner's decision insisting that details of the commercial agreement between the legacy company and West Ham are made public, claims that the club has "nothing to hide". "I wanted to take this opportunity to address openly the intrigue, caused by the confidential nature of it, which, admittedly, has been minor and by people driven with their own agendas," she said. "We welcome that decision as, put simply, we have nothing to hide. "The agreement between West Ham and E20 represents a win for both parties. From our point of view, other than the personal affairs of my shareholders, we are happy to disclose the entire document. "However, quite clearly, E20 must continue to best serve the taxpayer through the negotiation of future contracts and users in the Stadium and it is therefore only right that details which affect their ability to do so remain confidential. "It has been reported that we got a good deal but it is worth remembering that West Ham went through three arduous, fair, competitive and thoroughly robust bidding processes. And the fact is we came out unanimously and convincingly on top each and every time. This is because we were the only bidder with a true vision for the Stadium and its ability to act as a catalyst for the regeneration of our part of East London."
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Allardyce returns as Sunderland boss
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 9th October 2015
By: Staff Writer
Former West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce has been appointed as the new manager of Sunderland. The 60-year-old, who left West Ham last May by mutual consent has returned to the Premier League just five months after departing the Boleyn Ground. Allardyce, who replaces Dick Advocaat with immediate effect has signed a two-year contract with the Black Cats. And unlike his first press conference at West Ham, Allardyce moved to bring the fans onside by praising them for their "tremendous passion". "I have enjoyed my break from football and now I'm raring to get back," he told safc.com. "I met with [Chairman] Ellis [Short] and we spoke at length about the club and his ambitions and I knew I wanted to be part of that. "I hope to be able to help to bring the stability and success that everyone wants. Of course it's a challenging job, but it's something I have experience of in the past. "I'm looking forward to working with the players and of course I will be relying on the help of the Sunderland supporters, whose tremendous passion I have experienced first-hand. I can't wait to get started."
Sunderland Chairman Short added: "I am very pleased to welcome Sam to our football club. Sunderland is a club he knows well and he was the obvious best choice for the job. "He has vast experience of managing in the Premier League and an understanding first-hand of the north east and the passion of our fans, which will stand him in great stead. "This was a very popular job, proactively sought after by a large number of managers - contrary to much of what has been portrayed. The process was made easier by the fact that Sam was such an obvious choice. "The other misconception is that Sam had to be persuaded to join us; nothing could be further from the truth. From the very beginning, he understood the importance of this job and showed great enthusiasm for the role and a desire to be part of moving this club forward."
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'Clicka' Bacon loses limb in hospital op
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 9th October 2015
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's most famous photographer Steve Bacon is facing an uncertain future after losing a leg. Bacon, who worked closely with the club for many years had his lower left limb amputated today as a result of complications with diabetes, from which he has suffered for some time. And in a heartfelt message to friends and followers, he admitted that he may have to find a new home following the emergency operation. "Tragically have lost my left leg to this damn diabetes," he wrote on his timeline this afternoon. "Life will never be the same for me and my future remains uncertain as to where I might have to live and how much care I will need. "I very much doubt I can ever go back to the Bacon family home in Essex Road. Onwards and upwards as they say ..... to my personal friends on Facebook, I may need to call on you for practical help in the days to come. God Bless."
Bacon was a popular figure with supporters through the eighties and nineties when he was regularly spotted on the touchline snapping the first team in action. Three years ago he published his memoirs in a book, entitles 'There's Only One Stevie Bacon' - which also happens to be the popular refrain sung to the legendary [photographer by travelling Hammers fans. On behalf of all our readers, Knees up Mother Brown would like to wish Steve all the very best for the immediate future.
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Bilic admits interest in Beskitas stars
KUMb.com
Filed: Friday, 9th October 2015
By: Staff Writer
Slaven Bilic has revealed he is keeping tabs on several players at his former club Besiktas. Bilic, speaking in the October edition of Socrates admitted that he was interested in bringing on or two of his former employees to London in the near future - including Turkish international winger Gokham Tore. "BeÅŸiktas is a huge club with a strong squad," he told the magazine. "Quite a few of the players are good enough to play for West Ham and I am interested in them. "Gokhan is a legend; he is a top guy and a great player. Of course I would love to have him in the team [at West Ham]. I tried to sign him at the start of the season, but it was not the right time." Another player Bilic is strongly interesting in bringing to the Boleyn Ground is midfielder Oguzhan Ozyakup, who features alongside Tore in tyhe Turkish national team. The 23-year-old, who was born in the Netherlands started life in the Premier League with Arsenal but failed to make a single appearance for the Gunners before moving to Turkey. Signed by Besiktas for just €500,000 three years ago, Ozyakup made 32 appearances for his club last season, scoring three goals and providing eight assists.
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West Ham won't pay for ticket checkers, medical staff or cleaners at Olympic Stadium
By Amy Lewis, Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 09/10/15 1:41pm
SSN
Taxpayers will foot the bill for ticket checkers, medical staff and cleaners at games when West Ham move to the Olympic Stadium, Sky Sport News HQ can reveal. The club also will not have to pay for turnstile operators, much of the security and steward personnel and catering staff on match days. West Ham have agreed to rent the £700m Olympic Stadium for 99 years from the start of the 2016/17 season.
The London Legacy Development Corporation is appealing against a ruling to publish the rental contract in full, a process that could take up to six months. It has, however, issued the contract to Sky Sports News HQ with fewer redactions than previously published, but crucially has not revealed how much rent West Ham will be paying.
The contract shows that West Ham will have to pay a different amount each year, depending on which league the club are playing in and a higher amount for every position they finish 10th or above in the Premier League. The club will also have to pay an additional fee if they win the FA Cup or qualify for the Europa League or Champions League. The contract even makes provision for an additional payment should they win the Europa League or Champions League, even though they have never qualified for the latter.
The deal also leaves the possibility open for the Olympic Stadium to host American Football games, with the contract indicating space is available specifically for football, rugby and NFL goal posts. West Ham will pay £15m as a one-off fee towards the conversion and the taxpayer will benefit from profit made by food and beverage sales as well as from the naming rights deal.
A London Legacy Development Corporation spokesman told SSNHQ that the venue is multi-purpose and not owned by West Ham, but their rent contributes towards the costs as does other revenues generated such as catering. "We have lodged an appeal against the Information Commissioner's judgment," the spokesman said. "This follows careful consideration, informed by legal advice, and is limited to a smaller number of redactions. "The appeal relates only to information which if released could significantly reduce the level of financial return to the taxpayer as it would undermine negotiations with future users of the Stadium and other partners. We have listened to the Commissioner's comments and as a public body are committed to maximising transparency. "As a result we have now published more details of the agreement with West Ham United in all areas that fall outside the scope of our appeal."
West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady says West Ham are happy for the entire document to be disclosed, with the exception of the personal affairs of their shareholders. She said: "During the negotiations, did I do the best deal I could for West Ham United? Of course I did, that's my job, but not at the expense of the taxpayer. "I think what is very clear to anyone reading the agreement for the first time, is just how determined I was to protect the rights of West Ham United and our fans during the negotiations, while also ensuring it was fair to the taxpayer."
West Ham say the club will be investing a further estimated £7m ahead of their move next year to ensure the Olympic Stadium "looks and feels" like home.
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Gold's rapid "binocular" response
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 9, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H
Irons co chairman David Gold has again been forced to defend the Olympic Stadium views. DG – a regular visitor to Twitter – has been at the end of another sarcastic comment regarding the likely views available of Premier League football at the club's new home.
The hardy annual was raised again when a follower declared: "@andrewb_63 @davidgold @whufc_official Free binoculars with every ticket😂😂😂
Long suffering Gold – faced with the same sort of jobe regularly in the past – chose not to produce one of his witty one liners but instead made his position clear.
Instead he said: "You don't need binoculars at Wembley and you won't need them at the Olympic stadium. dg"
Yesterday ClaretandHugh published a story here from a Hammers fan who, having attended his season ticket interview and used the seat at a rugby international. Jack Miles messaged us to say: "If I'm honest I was worried if they'd make it look better on the computer than it really was but I think the view is actually better when you're there. It was superb over there! Really excited for next season!" Jack's season ticket is Band 2 Block 233 row 51
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Media get OS deal all wrong again!
Posted by Sean Whetstone on October 9, 2015 in Sean's Blogs, Whispers
C and H
Sky Sports, the Guardian and the Daily Mirror have all run stories today suggesting that the tax payer will foot the bills for medical staff, cleaners and the majority of stewards at the Olympic Stadium. The claims follow the release of the agreement by the London Legacy Development Corporation yesterday which reveals more details of the previously confidential deal between the LLDC and West Ham for the rental of the Stadium.
These headlines are very misleading as the tax payer will not be further funding the stadium and the bills will actually be paid by stadium operator Vinci on behalf of stadium owner E20 Stadium LLP which is owned by both the LLDC and Newham council. OS2The Stadium is expected to make a very conservative £200,000 profit per year so all running costs are included and not paid by the tax payer. West Ham will pay a rent of £2.5m rent but pay further bonuses on Premier league positions above tenth place.
The club will also pay extra if they win the FA Cup, Europa League or the Champions league plus extra cash if they qualify for Europa League or Champions League. The rent and bonuses are also index linked meaning it will increase with inflation over the 99 year term.
When you add the Stadium naming rights, the LED wrap and pitch side advertising, catering and pouring profits and renting the stadium out to Rugby, NFL American Football, music concerts plus other possible renters then it doesn't take a rocket science to work out that the tax payer will be in profit with regards to operating the system.
This is another attempt by the media to blame West Ham over a deal it won fair and square and try to get London tax payers riled up upset that they are footing the bill for us to play in a stadium that no-one wanted.
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Fergie: 'Ravel Morrison might be the saddest case'
Posted by Sean Whetstone on October 9, 2015 in News
C and H
Sir Alex Ferguson has spoken how painful it was to sell Ravel Morrison to West Ham explaining he was probably the saddest case of a player with enormous talent who was unable to control his inner demons. His comments are made in his recently-released book about leadership, entitled 'Leading', in which he picks out Morrison as a player simply unable to deal with the stresses, opportunities and pitfalls of modern life as a football professional. "Sadly, there are examples of players who have similar backgrounds to Giggs or Cristiano Ronaldo, who, despite enormous talent, just aren't emotionally or mentally strong enough to overcome the hurts of their childhood and their inner demons," he said. "Ravel Morrison might be the saddest case. He possessed as much natural talent as any youngster we ever signed, but kept getting into trouble. It was very painful to sell him to West Ham in 2012 because he could have been a fantastic player." "But, over a period of years, the problems off the pitch continued to escalate and we had little option but to cut the cord."
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Hammers striker out on loan
Posted by Sean Whetstone on October 9, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H
Chelmsford City have announced the one month loan signing of West Ham Academy promising striker Jordan Brown.
Brown will go straight into Saturday's Emirates FA Cup squad for Chelmsford to face Basingstoke.
The pacy 18-year-old joined West Ham from Arsenal in 2013, scoring seven goals in the 2013/14 campaign for the Hammers' Under-18s. He then moved into the club's Development Squad where he netted three times.
The youngster signed a new contract earlier this year keeping him at the club until June 2016. He told the club's website "I'm delighted to have signed a new contract. I'm happy the club has faith in me to give me another year to push on and try and prove myself.I heard I was going to get a new contract in about January or February and I was very happy. I've known about it for a while but it's good to actually sign it."
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OS knockers bring WHUFC family together again
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 9, 2015 in Hugh's Blogs, News, Whispers
C and H
The flood of publicity surrounding the OS and the various attacks from other fans groups has had one effect – the West Ham Family has reunited.
Just cast your minds back a few months to the lousy atmosphere that surrounded the issue – the haters were constantly out on Twitter complaining about everything and anything to do with the stadium.
The club appeared to be on the back foot. Blimey, there was even a major debate about whether the move should involve a new badge with the word London appearing upon it.
Furious exchanges were taking place daily – hourly and David Gold was often abused on Twitter on all things OS.
But then the tide started to turn and when when virtually every media organisation led by the BBC and , supported by the likes of Barry Hearn plus around 15 supporters groups, started to kick hell out of us as a club the 'Family' cried "enough is enough."
I'm not sure I've ever heard the word taxpayer mentioned so many times – the only argument it seems – against the fact that we had made by far the best offer and passed through a rigourous bidding process.
A siege mentality set in and the Irons family collectively got the hump. From a "stuff the stadium" stance suddenly things turned and it became "our stadium."
Jealously – which had prompted the attacks on us – probably did more than any concerted and expensive public relation campaign to promote the stadium.
There will always be an ill informed few on Twitter wanting to make an issue out of things and get a brief second of glory by attempting to ride on DG's name.
The chairman swats them away like the irritating flies which indeed they are.
So thanks BBC and all the rest of you. What you have managed to demonstrate is that we as family as moan at and about each other as much as we like.
But let anyone else do it and there will be hell to pay!
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Hammers pour cold water on loan plan
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 9, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H
Serie A side Napoli are reported as wanting to take Pedro Obiang from us and are hoping to complete a loan swoop for in January.
Bapoli are believed to have been keen at the time Obiang plumped for Upton Park but apparently are refusing to give up on a deal.
However, Upton Park sources are saying this morning there is absolutely no chance of a deal happening with one highly placed insider telling ClaretandHugh: "Those days are over – we are operating on a different playing field and want all our squad players as we move forward.
According to Per Sempre Napoli, the hope is for him to go on loan to them for the remainder of the season after January.
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West Ham striker Andy Carroll set to play in behind-closed-doors friendly after ankle injury
0 COMMENTS 14:25, 9 OCT 2015 UPDATED 14:26, 9 OCT 2015
BY DARREN LEWIS
Carroll picked up the problem soon after coming on as a substitute in the home draw against Norwich City two weeks ago
The Mirror
Andy Carroll is set to play in a behind-closed-doors game for West Ham today as he steps up his recovery from his latest injury. The Hammers' England striker, 26, was kicked in the ankle soon after coming on as a substitute in the club's 2-2 draw at home to Norwich two weeks ago. He was sent for scans ahead of West Ham's 2-2 draw at Sunderland last Saturday and while he was given the all-clear ahead of that match the Irons left him out, deciding against taking any chances. The club are confident, however, that he will be back for their trip to Crystal Palace after the international break. In a further boost, forward Enner Valencia, defender Angelo Ogbonna and midfielder Alex Song have all been training this week and are also expected to be available soon.
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Taxpayers to foot bills for some services at West Ham's Olympic Stadium
• Medical staff, cleaners and some security will be paid from public purse
• LLDC appealing against publication of full contract with West Ham
Guardian sport
Friday 9 October 2015 15.04 BST Last modified on Friday 9 October 2015 15.25 BST
West Ham's deal to use the Olympic Stadium from next season includes provisions for a number of services to be financed by the taxpayer, including medical staff, cleaners and the majority of stewards and security staff. The Premier League side, who are scheduled to leave Upton Park at the end of the season for their new home, have signed a 99-year lease for the stadium in Stratford, east London. Last month, the information commissioner ruled the terms of the deal between the London Legacy Development Corporation and West Ham should be made public, although the LLDC has since appealed. However, the planning authority for the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park has released a copy of the contract with fewer redactions than originally published, which reveals the club will have to pay a different amount each year depending on where they finish in the league. That includes an additional fee if they win the FA Cup or qualify for the uropa League or Champions League, while the stadium could also be used for NFL matches under the terms of the deal. The document also reveals that taxpayers will foot the bill for cleaners, medical staff, turnstile operators and ticket checkers, as well as some security personnel and catering staff. It is already known that West Ham will pay only £15m of the £272m needed to make the 54,000-capacity stadium suitable for Premier League football, athletics and other events. The annual rental agreement on the 99-year lease is believed to be around £2.5m, although the true figure has never been confirmed.
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SHOTS SIGN HAMMER MAVILA
09/10/2015
shots.co.uk
Aldershot Town have signed 19 year-old left-sided player Nathan Mavila from West Ham United on a loan deal until Sunday 8 November. Born in Brixton to Congolese parents, Mavila can play as a full-back or winger. He joined the Hammers from Wycombe Wanderers in 2012, aged 16, and spent two months on loan at Conference South side Wealdstone between January and March 2015.
A regular in the West Ham Development squad, he was an unused substitute for the first-team in August's Europa League tie against Romanian side Astra Giurgiu. Nathan will wear shirt number 21 and is available for selection for tomorrow's Vanarama National League game against Altrincham at the EBB Stadium.
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Morgan Amalfitano's rollercoaster: the best and worst of French star's short West Ham career
HITC
Damien Lucas
Morgan Amalfitano's West Ham United career was something of a rollercoaster, filled with as many downs as ups. The French midfielder, who had fallen out with new boss Slaven Bilic, left the Hammers by mutual consent after a short spell in East London which saw him make 32 appearances and score three goals. He was actually included in Bilic's 25-man squad for the Premier League this season, which was something of a surprise given that the former Croatia boss had banished the ex West Bromich Albion star from the club's first team for a 'breach of rules' - as reported by the Evening Standard. Amalfitano had established himself as an important squad member under Sam Allardyce, but did not play any part in the West Ham first team since the club's ill-fated Europa League qualifying campaign.
'It's my job to protect the club'
Speaking in his column in the Evening Standard at the time, Bilic explained the rationale behind his decision to ostracise Amalfitano, which ultimately led to a parting of the ways: "I would just say that my first and foremost job is to protect the whole team - myself, the staff and players. "If I see anything or anyone threatening to harm the atmosphere and transgress those rules, then it has to be stopped." The Hammers should have the squad to cope without him as he leaves for pastures new, and here we take a look back at his three best and worst moments in the claret and blue.
The Best
3) Amalfitano was full of beans when he signed a new two-year deal back in March. He was happy because the deal meant he would be with the club when they embark on their big move to the 54,000 seater Olympic Stadium next summer, and it was a contract he had earned after a decent start to life in East London. He said at the time, to the club's official website: "I've not had a chance to see the Olympic Stadium yet but apparently it's a very, very beautiful stadium. So I'm very pleased to be a part of the project and I always want to please our fans, as much as possible." Didn't quite work out like that though did it Morgan?
2) Amalfitano's second best moment was his second goal for the club, which came on October 25 at home to Manchester City, when he netted the opener in a 2-1 victory over the reigning champions. After great work by Enner Valencia, Amalfitano was lurking at the far post to roll in probably the easiest goal of his career. But what made it special was the celebration. Still seemingly unaware of the layout of his new ground, Amalfitano celebrated by launching himself into the Manchester City fans. The visiting supporters didn't take too kindly to what they thought was Amalfitano rubbing their noses in it and he quickly made his escape to the sanctuary of the pitch, much to the delight of West Ham fans.
1) Ironically, Amalfitano's finest West Ham moment came on his home debut last September. Coming on in the second half and scoring his first goal against Liverpool to seal a 3–1 victory and secure the club's first home win of the season. It was an impudent finish too, striding into the box and rolling the ball into the corner with his toe.
The Worst
3) Amalfitano was one of few first-team regulars from last season to be used in Bilic's Europa League qualifying campaign during pre-season, and it showed. While most of the other first teamers were taking tentative steps in pre-season training to getting fit again, Amalfitano was used as one of the senior heads for far flung trips to Andorra, Malta and Romania. It was clear, though, that he did not have the appetite for it and took umbrage to what he probably saw as a bit of a demotion. Instead of rolling his sleeves up and proving himself to the new boss, he looked disinterested and hardly got involved, even being subbed off after just 50 minutes in one of the games.
2) Amalfitano lost his way towards the end of last season and found himself unable to hold down a regular place in the team. His frustrations boiled over when he got himself sent off within minutes of coming on as a second half substitute in West Ham's miserable 4-0 defeat to his old club West Brom in the FA Cup. Sam Allardyce labelled him 'unprofessional' afterwards.
1) The Frenchman's worst moment, and most damning indiscretion came before the start of the current season when, according to a report in the Mirror, he gave Bilic 'attitude'. The paper claimed Amalfitano had a list of his misdemeanours read to him before he was sent packing by Bilic after his latest breach of discipline. While he will undoubtedly have clubs interested in his services, he will have to wait until January until he is eligible to play again as his contract termination did not take place before the close of the summer transfer window.
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Napoli keen on Pedro Obiang, plan loan exchange involving Jonathan de Guzman
HITC
Billy Hawkins
West Ham midfielder Pedro Obiang is wanted by Napoli. According to Per Sempre Napoli, Serie A side Napoli are keen on signing Pedro Obiang from West Ham, and are planning a loan swoop for him in January. Obiang only moved to the Hammers in the summer transfer window, with Napoli one of the teams said to be keen on him at the same time. However, he opted to move from Sampdoria to England, and has so far impressed in the Premier League. The report claims that Napoli have already approached West Ham concerning a potential move for Obiang in January, planning the loan signing of him until the end of the season. It is stated that Napoli will sweeten the deal by offering Jonathan de Guzman in exchange, with the attacking midfielder out of favour in Naples.
A deal for Obiang will never happen
Despite Napoli's desire to sign the Spanish midfielder, the chances of bringing Obiang over the Italy in January are all but zero. He has established himself as a key player in Slaven Bilic's team, making seven appearances in all competitions, and there is no logical reason as to why West Ham would sell him. Napoli will definitely be looking elsewhere if they want to sign a new midfielder in January.
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Darren Randolph grabs his big opportunity with both hands
Goalkeeper had little time to think as he was pitted into action against world champions
irishtimes.com
Emmet Malone at Aviva Stadium
Thu, Oct 8, 2015, 23:28
Barely a week after Jack Grealish resolved his international future, Darren Randolph has finally done so too although in rather more style. The 28-year-old could have declared for the United States until he came on for the injured Shay Given shortly before half-time at the Aviva last night. It turned out to be a decent night to make your competitive international debut and a good one too to keep a clean sheet. "Yeah," he said with a slight shake of the head; "it'll go down in the history books and it's great to have been part of it. I wish I could go out and go back over it all again, to soak it up properly. But I've got some good memories of it to take away and there's no time really. We've got the game on Sunday. It'll be time to go again."
The memories will includes one standout save from Ilkay Gundogan and a succession of interventions that helped keep the Germans at bay. Randolph had suggested in his appearances for West Ham this season that he has what it takes to cope well at this level. Here, against the world champions, he finally got to prove it. There was, he admitted, one let off. When asked about the second-half strike from Thomas Muller that just about everybody in the stands thought was heading for the top scorner he admitted that he had briefly feared the worst himself. "The cut back from the cross? Yeah," he said before going on to acknowledge the relief he felt as he realised it had flown the far side of the post. His part in the game started so suddenly that there was simply no time for fear. "I just got the shout," he said of the moment the management team realised Given couldn't continue. "There was no time to think. I just got myself together and ran on there, just tried to get into the game as quickly as possible. I didn't have any time to think about it to be honest. We were in the warm up room and they just said, 'right, you're going on,' so I just everything off and ran out."
He played a big part in what followed, looking immensely composed even when he was at the heart of the action and even clocking up an assist for Ireland's goal but he hailed the collective effort. "Everybody was brilliant. Everyone who started the game, everyone who finished. We worked our socks off. All the blocks, the tackles, they did an unbelievable amount of running, I think that showed in terms of people getting cramps there towards the end but against a top team that's what you need to do; everybody needs to do a little more than normal; a little bit extra. "We knew we were going to have to defend. Obviously we didn't want to drop too far back because we wouldn't have been able to get out of our half but the fact that we didn't is down to how hard the lads worked. "But, he added, "we'd been disappointed with some of our displays; the ones against Scotland where we didn't perform. Since then, with every performance comes confidence. And then going into this game today, obviously we were hoping for that result in the other game and the rest was down to us." As it will be again on Sunday when it'll be time to go again.
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Mauro Zarate sends message to West Ham fans
HITC
Subhankar Mondal
Mauro Zarate is fully fit now and is raring to go for West Ham United. West Ham United forward Mauro Zarate has written on the club's official website that he is fully fit and raring to go.
The Argentine has struggled with injuries for most of the season so far, but he featured in the Hammers' last two Premier League games. The 28-year-old, who can also play as an attacking midfielder, played the last 10 minutes against Norwich City at the Boleyn Ground and the final 12 minutes against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. Zarate is now fully fit and he is eager to get more playing time for West Ham after the international break. "I feel good again now after getting over the injury I had earlier in the season," the former Lazio star wrote on West Ham's official website. "The injury was an important one, touching the tendon, but now it has gone and I feel strong. "We couldn't rush it, but I'm ready to play again. I'm strong and fast and available if I'm selected. "The international break is good for me because I can work on the training pitch more than normal to be perfect – at 100 per cent for the next match."
Zarate has scored one goal and created five chances in four Premier League appearances for West Ham so far this season. The former Velez Sarsfield star has a pass accuracy of 84% and a shot accuracy of 67%, and has won six dribbles and four tackles. West Ham are sixth in the Premier League table at the moment with 14 points from eight matches, just a point behind fourth-place Crystal Palace.
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West Ham provide Winston Reid injury update as trio step up rehab
London 24
08:57 09 October 2015 Pete Evans
Hammers defender Winston Reid should be available to feature against Crystal Palace next weekend. 4 The New Zealand centre-back came off in the 2-2 draw at Sunderland last weekend but the Hammers' medical team explained that the gap for the international break means he shouldn't miss any matches. ADVERTISING Winston Reid has been struggling for a while with a minor injury," Stijn Vandenbroucke, West Ham's head of medical and sport science, told the club's official website. "Winston came off in the game against Sunderland, but we are positive for a recovery for the next game." Andy Carroll (knee) and Angelo Ogbonna (hamstring) have both stepped up their comebacks and have trained all week along with Enner Valencia. (knee) Midfielder Alex Song remains on the road to recovery while youngster Doneil Henry is sidelined with a groin injury.
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