Hammers settle into magnificent new Rush Green base
WHUFC.com
First team move into newly refurbished Rush Green site Manager Slaven Bilic delighted with facilities for his team Training ground move caps off historic week for the Club
Alongside the historic move into the new Stadium and the progression into the play-off stage in the UEFA Europa League, the West Ham players have this week also enjoyed the benefits of moving into a brand new training ground. Slaven Bilic, his backroom team and the first-team squad have made the short switch from Chadwell Heath to Rush Green, which was previously used by the Club's Academy and the players are already reaping the benefits. The Hammers Board made it a priority to improve facilities across all areas and spent millions of pounds to ensure the players have the best facilities possible in the build-up to games. The major refurb has been taking place during the summer and the players are now able to train on four brand new pitches and have top class facilities throughout the complex.
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic says the new facilities at Rush Green are exactly what his team needs. He explained: "Rush Green is exactly what me and my staff wanted. We were delighted to start at our new world class home with a great victory in Europe on Thursday and now we have training facilities that go hand in hand with the Stadium. "The Club has done what we wanted so I have to thank the Chairmen and the Board. "We wanted to make a very good, cosy training ground that the players would enjoy to go to a couple of hours before training and stay there two or three hours afterwards. Somewhere they can bring their kids sometimes. "I'm really happy with the job they have done."
West Ham United's Head of Medical and Sports Science Stijn Vandebroucke has no doubts the new training ground will help to get the best out of the players. He said: "The whole training ground has been designed for the players and designed to be compact so that we keep the spirit which is so important at West Ham United. This is our identity. "The dressing room is much bigger and we have great recovery for the players where they have a sauna and plunge pool. "We have a big gym and a fantastic treatment room where all the players needs are catered for. "We have also heavily invested in the quality of our pitches where we already have four to choose from and several more in the coming months."
Head Groundsman Dougie Robertson is also thrilled with the changes that have taken place over the summer and feels the players will only increase their performance at their new training base. Robertson said: "The changes are huge. The facilities that are now available really brings us into the big league and that is where the Club wants to be. The Club has done a fantastic job getting the players what they require and hopefully they can do the same in the league. "We are incredibly fortunate that we will have different kind of pitches for the players to train on. "We will have the old traditional fibre sand, the Desso pitches which we had at Upton Park and now the new Stadium and a new product called AirFibr which we are trialling in the rehab area and a specialist product which is proven to be softer for players coming back from injury."
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Hammers coach ready for Chelsea clash
WHUFC.com
Development Squad coach Liam Manning says the side's fixture against Chelsea will be tough The Friday match is the U23s' final pre-season clash before their league campaign kicks-off Manning also highlighted the side's aims for the season
The Development Squad have a tough task on their hands in their final pre-season clash against Chelsea on Friday, according to coach Liam Manning. The young Hammers side face Stoke City in their first league match of the season next Saturday but first take on the Blues in their last preparation fixture. And Manning, who oversees the side alongside Academy Manager Terry Westley, is looking forward to the test Chelsea will offer. He said: "They have been massively successful in the last few years across all development ages really, so it's going to be great for us to go and test ourselves against one of the top teams in the country. "They're probably the best around at the moment in England. We want to go out there and play well, but we also want to maximise minutes for some of the players given that we start our season the week after. "We want to get some 90 minutes for the players but we also want to show that we have players on their level of football. That's ultimately the aim, but of course we're expecting a tough game."
Ahead of the league campaign, Manning was also keen to highlight his aims for the season and what the Academy would consider a successful year. "We obviously won the U21 Premier League Cup last season, so that taste of silverware could drive the players to strive for more this season. Everything we do, we do to our own style and philosophy but ultimately that's because we want to win games and produce players. "A good season for us is to get our lads appearances in the first team That's always the ultimate goal and the number one aim. "That's what an Academy is for, and to improve upon the quality that we already have. The biggest thing is getting another player in the team."
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Hammers to face Astra Giurgiu in play-off round
WHUFC.com
West Ham United will face Astra Giurgiu of Romania in the UEFA Europa League play-off round. After beginning life at London Stadium with a 3-0 victory over NK Domzale - a result that gave Slaven Bilic's men a 4-2 aggregate success in the third qualifying round - Friday's draw pitted the Hammers against a team who they faced in Europa League qualifiying last term. The draw provisionally gives the Hammers a trip to the southern Romanian city of Giurgiu for the first leg, with the return game at London Stadium taking place a week later. With a two-legged tie standing between West Ham and a place in the Europa League group stages, they will be looking to join Manchester United and Southampton in representing England in the competition proper. The Hammers are no strangers to taking on Astra Girugiu, having been knocked out by the Romanian side in Europa League qualifying last term. Astra went on to win their domestic league, but were defeated in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round by FC Kobenhavn, placing them in the Europa League play-off round. The play-off round tie will be played on August 18 and 25. Full fixture and ticketing details will follow shortly.
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Nordtveit - It was a special night
WHUFC.com
Nordtveit is ready to make big impact this season The Norway international was honoured to be part of such a historic night Nordtveit spent five-years in the Bundesliga
Havard Nordtveit felt honoured to be part of a historic night at the new Stadium and hopes to enjoy many magical moments with West Ham United this season. Nordtveit became the first signing of the summer following his move from Borussia Monchengladbach and has enjoyed settling into his new surroundings. The Norway international relished the chance to make his first appearance at London Stadium on Thursday night and played his part in a convincing 3-0 win over NK Domzale in the UEFA Europa League. Nordtveit says he will never forget the atmosphere that greeted the players when they first walked out onto the pitch and is looking forward to playing in front of a capacity crowd on a regular basis. Nordtveit said: "It was a special night, not only for me but for the whole team, with 'Bubbles' being played when you walk out. There's always something special and the crowd were fantastic so we're looking forward to more of those games. "We just had to focus on playing our game and enjoying the game. We knew that we had better qualities than the others and I think that we showed that in part of the game and it's nice to just go further into the play-offs. "Of course there's always some nerves but I think we were all quite sure that we had the quality to beat them at home. You always want to make a good start and this was a good start at the new Stadium."
Nordtveit says he has enjoyed being back in London and hopes to cement his place in the team ahead of the opening Premier League game against Chelsea. He added: "Coming from Germany to England I'm still trying to adapt to the football a little bit but so far, so good. "I'm really happy to be a part of the Hammers and looking forward to playing many more games.
"I had five-and-a-half good years in Germany and now I've played in the Bundesliga I know how that league is. I want to try to get as many games as possible in the Premier League and also the other cups and everything here with West Ham."
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Stat's a Fact
WHUFC.com
Cheikhou Kouyate's new attacking role could see the athletic African become a regular goalscorer for the Hammers. A look back through Cheikhou Kouyate's career history suggests the Senegal midfielder has never been particularly proficient in front of goal. The 26-year-old had never netted twice in the same match before marking West Ham United's first match at London Stadium - and the 321st club appearance of his career - by doing just that.
With Norway international Havard Nordtveit providing a disciplined shield in front of the back four, breaking up opposition attacks and setting the Hammers on their way with short, intelligent passes to his more creative teammates. One of the beneficiaries of Nordtveit's presence was Kouyate, who made the most of his more-advanced position on the pitch to terrorise the NK Domzale defence. With his long strides, strength and desire, as well as his under-rated technical ability, the No8 can cause problems in many different ways. On Thursday, it was his presence in the penalty area that enabled him to pounce for both of his first-half goals. The first saw Kouyate race into the box and maintain his position on the edge of the six-yard box, from where he expertly flicked Sam Byram's low cross past goalkeeper Axel Maraval. Seventeen minutes later, the Dakar-born star was again just a few yards from Maraval's goal when Andy Carroll steered Michail Antonio's deep cross into his path, and Kouyate again needed just one touch to prod the ball past the Frenchman.
In all, Kouyate had three shots, all of them on target, and scored two goals. When you consider that West Ham produced six shots on target as a team, the former Anderlecht man's contribution becomes all the more important. The popular midfielder scored just nine goals in 246 appearances in Belgian football, including six in 206 for the all-conquering Anderlecht.
However, the signs were there last season that Kouyate could hit the net more often if given the chance further up the field, when he scored five in 42 games for the Hammers. Now it seems that Slaven Bilic wants to give his 'great engine and determination and quality' a chance to flourish in attacking areas, and West Ham look set to benefit. If Kouyate gets into the opposition penalty area regularly, he will get chances. He is quicker than he looks, strong, anticipates opportunities to get to the ball before others and can finish with his feet and his head. In short, we can expect more goals and more 'Lions of Teranga' - the Senegal national team's nickname - celebrations! Fans putting the final touches to their fantasy football teams for the coming Premier League campaign could find a sneaky bargain in the shape of West Ham's newly-prolific No8!
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The Insider
WHUFC.com
It has been a memorable 24 hours for the West Ham United following the historic first game to be played at the new Stadium and the convincing victory in the Europa League which saw the Hammers qualify for the play-off round.
There looks to be more good news for Slaven Bilic as my sources have told me that the Club are set to make a substantial signing within the next 72 hours.
The Club have been linked with a number of top forwards throughout the summer and they now look set to finally land one of their targets.
Reports in the media have also suggested that the Club were close to securing a loan move for Inter Milan defender Davide Santon.
But it is my understanding that the move has fallen through and the Club are now looking at other targets.
With Aaron Cresswell ruled out for three to four months, the Club were not prepared to take any risks over signing another left back and hope for more news on another defender in the next few days.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of West Ham United
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Joint-Chairman - We have unfinished business
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Joint-Chairman David Sullivan says the Club have unfinished business against Astra Giurgiu in the UEFA Europa League.
The Hammers were drawn to face the Romanian side once again in the play-off round after securing a 4-2 aggregate win over NK Domzale.
Slaven Bilic and his players are no strangers to facing Astra Giurgiu after they played them in the qualifying stage last season.
Goals from Enner Valencia and Mauro Zarate looked to have put the Hammers in pole position to win the first leg, but the Romanian side scored two late goals to come away with a 2-2 draw.
That proved crucial as they recorded a 2-1 win in the second leg against a young Hammers side as Slaven Bilic rested a number of key players ahead of the opening Premier League game of the season against Arsenal, just three days later.
But Mr Sullivan is confident that the Hammers will have enough quality to beat them this time around and hopes the fans will turn up in their numbers once again as the Club once again plan reduced ticket prices for the home leg on August 25.
Mr Sullivan said: "We have unfinished business with them.
"They are the champions of Romania last season, so it won't be an easy game.
"It's not ideal as there is a lot of travelling and the away leg is before the vital home game against Bournemouth.
"We will price the games cheaply with kids from £7.50 and adults from £10."
Tickets will go on sale to Bondholders and Season Ticket holders from 9am on Saturday 6 August.
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From the Newsroom
WHUFC.com
Mirror Online sports editor and West Ham United Season Ticket Holder Matty Lawless reflects on a successful first night and looks ahead to stern tests to come...
Well, how about that for a house warming party?
West Ham put in a performance befitting of our magnificent new home on Thursday, giving 54,000 fans a glorious taste of things to come here.
If this really is the future, then sign me up for more of it. European football must become a permanent fixture – fans want it and so do the players.
It was good to see Slaven Bilic's side thrive in the atmosphere. It could have been easy to have froze. But they set tone early from the outset and shone.
If any rival Premier League managers were watching, they won't relish the prospect of facing Slaven Bilic's side here if that's what they'll have to contend with.
Let's be honest though, if you were walking out through that tunnel you would probably feel compelled to put in a performance worthy of giving the place justice. It's world class.
But with the greatest respect to NB Domzale, we can now look forward to seeing West Ham come up against some genuine world class opposition, starting with our Play-off round clash with Romanian champions Astra Giurgiu.
Sunday afternoon presents the truest test of whether Bilic's men are ready to handle the great expectations now set upon them – in more than one way.
There was talk that Sunday's game would be against Barcelona. But in Juventus, West Ham couldn't have asked for a better team to face ahead of next the Premier League curtain-raiser at Chelsea.
Yes, Sunday is all about the official opening ceremony of the stadium. Yet the focus has to be on Stamford Bridge a week next Monday. And for that, playing Juventus are absolutely the ideal preparation for Chelsea away.
As opening games come, it's far from desirable. When I saw it in June, I must confess I felt slightly queasy. For me, there's a real nervousness.
Why? Antonio Conte.
The Italian is a man on a mission. He is a winner. He is relentless in the pursuit of success. And he arrives in England with the expectation of restoring the Blues into a formidable force.
After last season's dire title defence, Chelsea know the can ill-afford another season without Champions League football. Make no mistake, that won't happen again this season.
They have strengthened in key areas, so it's no surprise to see many pundits backing Chelsea to launch a title charge.
Michy Batshuayi and N'Golo Kante are quality signings. Keeping hold of Eden Hazard was the real masterstroke. Expect him the rediscover his magic this term, especially if he plays in a central role.
Chelsea now have serious strength in depth – and Conte will provide tactical discipline and install a competitive hunger.
Hand me a draw now and I'd take it. Perhaps that's a bit of the "old West Ham" coming out in me.
A win over Juve – a team Conte truly fashioned into unstoppable Italian champions – would underline why there are so many reasons to feel positive as part of the "new West Ham".
Last season, I correctly predicted the Hammers would beat Arsenal 2-0 on the opening day of the season at the Emirates. The rest, as we all know, is history. So, I'll stick my neck on the line and say 2-0 again... with Dimitri Payet returning with a masterclass.
Enjoy the game on Sunday – with the likes of Gonzalo Higuain and Gigi Buffon in town, we are surely all in for a real treat!
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily the opinions held by West Ham United.
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Tickets start at £10 for Europa play-off clash
WHUFC.com
West Ham United are delighted to confirm that adult tickets for the UEFA Europa League play-off round home leg against Astra Giurgiu will start at just £10.
After a record-breaking 53,914 Hammers fans flocked to London Stadium to watch Slaven Bilic's men ease past Slovenian side NK Domzale in the third qualifying round, adults will again be able to purchase tickets in bands four and five for £10.
Tickets for under-16s are priced at just £7.50 in bands one to five, as the Hammers show their continued commitment to affordable family football.
Tickets go on sale to Season Ticket Holders from 9am on Saturday 6 August, with their priority lasting until Friday 12 August. Full pricing and sale dates as follows.
Band Adult U21/O65 U16
1966 £30 £30 £30
Band 1 £20 £20 £7.50
Band 2 £15 £15 £7.50
Band 3 £15 £15 £7.50
Band 4 £10 £10 £7.50
Band 5 £10 £10 £7.50
Tickets go on sale from:
Season Ticket Holders 9am, Saturday 6 August
Claret Members Friday 12 August
General Sale Monday 15 August
Supporters will be able purchase tickets online by clicking here, over the telephone on 0871 529 1966* or in person from the London Stadium Ticket Office.
Hospitality packages for the visit of Astra Giurgiu are also available and supporters can enjoy a night of exciting European action at London Stadium for just £149+VAT person.
Please call 0871 091 1811* to book your hospitality package.
*Calls are charged at 13p/min plus your phone provider's access charge.
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5/8/16 - EARLY MORNING NEWS ROUND-UP
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 5 AUGUST 2016 AT 10:39AM TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Carlos Bacca U-turn? -
According to a report from Calciomercato this morning AC Milan are making a push for Carlos Bacca to accept the offer on the table to join West Ham. An agreement has been in place with the Serie A Giants for some weeks now and they have become frustrated because they can't do any transfer business themselves until Bacca moves on. They report that Bacca has been reconsidering his decision since West Ham progressed into the Playoff Round of the Europa League with their convincing win last night against NK Domzale.
Bilic wants to add at least 5 players to the squad? -
As per an interview after the win last night Slaven confirmed that he believes his squad is too small at present to cope with a busy schedule of 5 games in August, with 2 Europa League Playoff games and 3 Premier League games against, Chelsea, Bournemouth and Manchester City. The Manager stated that he hopes to add a minimum of 5 players prior to the Premier League opener at Stamford Bridge Monday week.
Bilic shocked at Sakho's failed medical -
The Manager stated last night that he was very surprised that the Senegalese striker's proposed move to WBA was cancelled after the player reportedly failed a medical. Slaven added "I don't know any details. I'm a bit surprised with that," "He's our player, contracted for us and could be a great player. That's all I can say about it. I am a bit sorry for him and a bit surprised that he didn't pass the medical."
Ayew deal hits snag? -
According to Ghanaweb.com, Andre Ayew's move to the Hammers could be in jeopardy after Diafra Sakho's proposed move to WBA was cancelled. The website believes that Andre's proposed move to West Ham hinges on the potential sale of Sakho. We should know very soon if this story has any legs considering reports that Llorente is set to move to Swansea in the very near future after the Welsh side reportedly agreed terms with Sevilla and the player.
Hammers to learn next Europa League Opponents -
The Hammers will learn who their next opponents will be in the Europa League Playoff Round at 12-00 midday today. Possible teams they could face include
7 Qäbälä (AZE)
8 Slavia Praha (CZE)
9 Brøndby (DEN)
10 Grasshoppers (SUI)
11 Astra Giurgiu* (ROU)
12 Partizani Tirana* (ALB)
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West Ham face Astra in Europa League play-off
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 5th August 2016
By: Staff Writer
There's revenge on the cards for West Ham after they drew Astra Giurgiu, again, in the next stage of the Europa League.
The Romanian side put West Ham out of the competition last season at the third qualifying round stage and Slaven Bilic's side will no doubt be keen to gain revenge for that particular defeat.
The full draw was as follows; all ties to be played on 18 and 25 August:
Pots 1&2
Astana (KAZ) v Bate (BLR)
AEK Lamaca (CYP) v Liverec (CZE)
Dinamo Tibilisi (GEO) v PAOK (GRE)
Arouca (POR) v Olympiacos (GRE)
Austria Wien (AUS) v Rosenborg (NOR)
Midtjylland (DEN) v Osmanlıspor (TUR)
Beitar Jerusalem (ISR) v St-Étienne (FRA)
Trenčín (SVK) v Rapid Wien (AUT)
Lokomotiva Zagreb (CRO) v Genk (BEL)
Vojvodina(SRB) v AZ (NED)
Pots 3&4
Maribor (SVN) v Qäbälä (AZE)
Gent (BEL) v Shkëndija (MKD)
Slavia Praha (CZE) v Anderlecht (BEL)
İstanbul Başakşehir (TUR) v Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)
Astra (ROU) v West Ham Utd (ENG)
Sønderjyske (DEN) v Sparta Praha (CZE)
Brøndby (DEN) v Panathinaikos (GRE)
Göteborg (SWE) v Qarabağ (AZE)
Slavia Praha (CZE) v Anderlecht (BEL)
Fenerbahçe(TUR) v Grasshoppers (SUI)
Krasnodar (RUS) v Partizani (ALB)
Sassuolo (ITA) v Crvena Zvezda (SRB)
M Tel-Aviv (ISR) v Hajduk Split (CRO)
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Corden to launch new series of KUMB Podcast!
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 5th August 2016
By: Staff Writer
The KUMB Podcast returns next week for it's fifth series - and the star guest for Episode 1 is a belter.
West Ham fan and The Late, Late Show host James Corden will be launching the new series of the Podcast when he steps into the hotseat next week alongside regular host Chris Scull and his former sidekick, James Longman.
And Corden, the star of the hilarious 'Carpool' videos who admits to being a keen fan of the KUMB Forum will have plenty to say about his beloved Hammers, despite living some 5,500 miles away from the club's home in California!
The KUMB Podcast began with Series 1 back in 2012, when guests such as Tony Cottee, Tony Gale and David Gold appeared.
Series 2, which ran from August 2013 through May 2014 saw people such as Billy Bonds, Ludo Miklosko, Julian Dicks and Frank McAvennie pass through our Soho studio whilst Series 3 - which covered the 2014/15 season - featured the likes of Teddy Sheringham, Trevor SInclair and Jack Collison.
In Series 4, which ran throughout the 2015/16 campaign, we kicked of with Russell Brand before welcoming guests such as David, Dave and Jack Sullivan, Danny Dyer, Mark 'Lawro' Lawrenson and Ian Pearce to our studio.
To listen to any of the above Podcasts, or any from the first four series, visit the Podcast home page (or click on the link in the main menu above).
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Irons fan makes Betway Cup 'Man of the Match' trophy
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 5th August 2016
By: Staff Writer
Russ Williams was raised in east London and learned the trade of metalwork at his dad's firm in Stratford.
The lifelong West Ham United supporter, then, was the perfect person to design and create the Betway Cup's Man of the Match trophy - a fixture which celebrates the club's exciting future, but also its esteemed history.
And like the all-blue commemorative strip that Slaven Bilic's players will wear against Juventus on Sunday, the trophy is inspired by the Thames Ironworks and company owner Arnold Hills.
"To be approached was a great honour," says Russ, 56. "It didn't take me long to actually decide the way I was going to make it.
"When you think of the Thames Ironworks, you immediately think of ships and bridges. In those days, everything was made of plate and rivets.
"They didn't have the technology like they have now. And I think the way metalwork was made then was fantastic."
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The Piccadilly report
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 4th August 2016
By: Gordon Thrower
As one supporter is found not guilty of public order offences after the FA Cup Quarter Final trip to Old Trafford, we have obtained a copy of British Transport Police's report into the chaotic scenes at Manchester's Piccadilly station that evening.
KUMB.com's Gordon Thrower – who was there – picks over the bones of the report, which highlights some spectacularly incompetent planning on the part of certain parts of the rail network….
As the fixture list arrives it is annoying to note that yet again we are denied a nice bank holiday weekend away at Bournemouth, a trip up to Manchester being the order of the day. Thinking back to our last visit to that part of the world, a report on the appalling scenes that took place at the station that evening has now arrived at kumb towers. The report was prepared by British Transport Police in response to a complaint made into the crowd control – such as it was – at Manchester Piccadilly after the FA Cup Quarter Final visit to Old Trafford.
As it happens the complaint was misplaced. The body responsible for crowd control at that station is Network Rail and BTP simply turned up at NR's request to try and sort things out when it became clear that things were getting out of hand. However, rather than leave it there, having received the complaint BTP did actually go through with an investigation. So what actually did go wrong?
What Happened
To put it briefly, once the match had finished at Old Trafford thousands of people travelling home by rail turned up at Piccadilly station where, because access to the relevant platforms was restricted by the station authorities, people were unable to board their booked trains. People were arriving at the station faster than could leave by train due to the restricted access to the platforms. Passengers were bumped onto later trains with a result that trains to London that evening were dangerously overloaded. The 19:35 for example carried 1,100 passengers on a train designed to seat 650.
What went wrong?
On the railway side of things nobody really emerges with any credit. NR obviously needed to have some indication of the number of likely travellers. A BTP contact told us that, on average, it is usual for planning to be based on 10% of spectators arriving at Old Trafford by public transport. Given our increased Cup allocation, that would have meant a basic estimate of, say, 900 supporters heading home that night via Piccadilly.
Just to be safe, NR contacted the train company for a clearer indication of numbers. Virgin Trains cheerfully told NR that they weren't expecting any more passengers than usual .Quite what this forecast was based on is not totally clear. However, it seems likely that the forecast concentrated on travellers making a day trip up for the match. If that is the case, they ignored/forgot/were not aware of one very important fact: that large numbers of supporters (myself included) had travelled up on the Friday and Saturday prior to the match in order to make a weekend of it. And all those supporters wanted to get home on the Sunday evening.
Planning
Whether or not NR would have done anything different had they been aware of the numbers travelling is not known. What we do know is that they implemented a pre-set plan that was based on dealing with a completely different set of circumstances. That plan proved to be inadequate.
Back in October 2015 Manchester hosted two rugby matches. In the Union World Cup the England XV took on Uruguay in the afternoon in a "dead rubber" group match. Later that evening Old Trafford played host to the Rugby League Super League Grand Final between Wigan and Leeds. The travel profile was pretty easy to work out. The main custom for travel towards London was the Union match which was over several hours before the League match kicked off.
Supporters travelling by train for the Super League match from Wigan would have used trains direct from stations close to Old Trafford – both Salford stations have direct services to Wigan. Leeds supporters would have used both Piccadilly and Victoria stations. Also, it being a Saturday, many would have stayed for the weekend, much as we did.
In other words the anticipated numbers of people using the railways at any one time that night were probably lower than for our match and journeys from the rugby supporters would have been spread over a longer period of time and a larger geographical area.
So why anyone thought it would work for our Quarter Final is anyone's guess.
Crowd 'Control'
So what was the masterplan that NR relied on? Well it helps to know a bit about the layout at Piccadilly station. In the main part of the station access to the platforms 1-8 is via set of 4 glass doors. In theory, once through the door access is available to any of platforms 1-8.
On the night in question, London trains were departing from platforms 6&7 – either side of the same platform. Access to that platform was restricted to the one glass door serving that platform and barriers had been put up on the other side of the door to prevent access from other doors and platforms.
In front of the doors NR had erected barriers forming a sort of cattle-pen zig zag funnel in front of the doors. This, and the fact that passengers were forced to use just the one door to access the platform slowed down the flow of passengers onto the trains to a trickle: for every four or five people actually getting access to the platform there were probably 20 or more arriving on the concourse. Which is fine, as long as you have an infinite amount of time and space to play with,.At Manchester Piccadilly, they haven't.
What Happened Next?
Basically a predictable and avoidable shambles. The concourse filled up. People booked on earlier trains were stuck behind people booked on later trains. Those at the back were not aware of the existence of the cattle pen so that those nearest the pen were getting crushed against it. NB: An interesting thing to come out of the BTP report is that whilst the Office Of The Rail Regulator (or "Fat Controller" as we used to call him) has plenty to say on the subject of overcrowded trains, BTP could find no guidance on overcrowding at stations. Which is odd.
Back at Piccadilly, NR sort of panicked. According to BTP some 3-3,500 passengers had arrived to travel rather than the 900 or so Network Rail had planned for. It being a Sunday evening NR didn't have the staff to cope so they called in BTP. It being a Sunday evening, BTP were also a bit short on numbers so they called in help from local forces, including Greater Manchester, Merseyside and South Yorkshire.
In order to speed up boarding BTP asked Virgin Trains to cancel all reservations and to "declassify" the last few trains, meaning it was a free-for-all. I'm not sure exactly when that decision was taken or how that was communicated to passengers. If the 19:35 train, for example, was declassified nobody told me. When I arrived on board a foreign tourist was sat in my place and, despite the fact that I would be as much use in a fight as a Spurs player in an England shirt, they vacated my seat at the merest wave of my ticket – presumably intimidated by the large numbers of "hard-looking" football supporters in the carriage.
Unsurprisingly, thanks to the declassification, tempers got a bit frayed with passengers on later trains at least finding seats that they thought they had reserved were occupied and one of the London-bound services extended its booked stop at Stockport whilst scuffles calmed down.
Back at the station complaints on the ground were ignored – the general attitude to football supporters from rail companies and police alike seems to have been one of contempt. My own suggestion that some of the other doors to the platforms be opened to improve flow from the concourse to the platforms was greeted with the sort of reaction that suggested that I would be wise not to pursue the idea if I actually wanted to get home that night.
Others were not so lucky. One, who on seeing a kid getting crushed against a barrier, protested with a verbal force and dexterity perhaps more traditional of the tabloids' stereotypical football supporter than I had earlier employed and found himself arrested by Greater Manchester Police. After a night in the cells, he was charged with a ludicrous public order offence "Causing harm distress or harassment to a member of the public". Thankfully the charge was thrown out when it finally got to court, though the chap involved was forced to wait until a hearing at the end of June to find out.
Arguably, the actions of Network Rail that day caused infinitely more "harm, distress or harassment" to members of the public than a few choice words of Anglo Saxon could ever do. The fact that the arrest was made in the first place not for the first time raises concerns over attitudes to football supporters in general. Would that arrest have taken place the previous October, for example, had the crush involved those Rugby Union supporters? I'd be willing to bet that it wouldn't have.
Some of the reporting in the mainstream press was also predictably slanted: "Violence Erupts" was the description by one newspaper (you can guess which one) of a scene which, given the circumstances, was remarkably well-behaved. This appears to be a general malaise amongst the UK press when reporting about football supporters – just look at some of the stuff from Euro16 where the treatment of mostly innocent England supporters by some genuinely frightening Russian psychopaths (who probably thought that the execrable "Green Street" was a documentary) was portrayed in a manner as to suggest that the victims had it coming to them because, well "they are English Football Supporters aren't they".
So what next?
Well at least some good came out of the complaint. Network Rail have decided that for, Cup matches anyway, they will start from the assumption that 50% of supporters will arrive by rail and will change their crowd management plans so that the station copes better with the numbers involved. Apparently a new plan was instigated for the Europa League match against Liverpool which took place a few days later which seemed to go ok – though again comparisons with our match aren't necessarily totally valid given the geographies involved.
As for attitudes to supporters though, I fear old habits die hard in some quarters. Treating supporters with contempt has had lethal consequences in the past and it was pure good luck hat there were no serious injuries this time around. However, even when things got bad nobody seemed in any way inclined to consider listening to those affected.
For the record we did contact Network Rail to invite comment on the report but at the time of writing we've had neither acknowledgement nor response from them. However, we do believe in the right of reply – we're good like that around here. So, needless to say, if anyone from NR does want to chip in with a comment they should contact either the editor or myself – contact details are available elsewhere on the site and you should also have the address from which I originally contacted you.
As mentioned, our next visit to Manchester will be another Sunday trip (thanks to tv) to see us take on City. It's bank holiday weekend so numbers up for a night or two out will probably be quite high so we'll be able to see the new plans for ourselves.
Will I go? Probably. Will I go by train? Hmmm let me get back to you on that one...
Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be attributed to, KUMB.com.
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West Ham's first night at London Stadium hailed by honorary life president Terry Brown
By Nick Lustig
Last Updated: 05/08/16 6:04pm
SSN
West Ham's honorary life president Terry Brown hailed a "truly magical night" in the club's history after they crowned their opening match at London Stadium with a 3-0 victory over NK Domzale in the Europa League. The Hammers started life at their new home in front of a near 54,000 sell-out crowd on Thursday and did not disappoint, overturning a 2-1 first leg deficit through two goals from Cheikhou Kouyate and one from summer signing Sofiane Feghouli to advance to the play-off round.
Brown believes huge praise must go to West Ham's current owners David Gold and David Sullivan as well as vice-chairman Karren Brady for overseeing the move from the Boleyn Ground and is confident the club can build on their maiden success at London Stadium. "They deserve enormous credit, they have made the whole thing happen and worked their socks off, all of them have," Brown, who was West Ham's chairman for 15 years between 1991 and 2006, told Sky Sports. "It was magical night for the club. It's an enormous platform for the club, we did fantastic last season and now we've got the stadium, the sky is the limit."
Gold and Sullivan completed their takeover of West Ham in 2010 and immediately signalled their intention to move the club to the then Olympic Stadium. After an arduous bidding campaign, West Ham finally secured a 99-year lease to become the main tenants of the stadium in March 2013 and set about making the necessary reconfigurations to ensure it was fit for football. Brown added: "They've done an absolutely fantastic job for the club. The two Davids and Karren have been fantastic, we're very lucky they came when they did. "We've got very ambitious owners and, with the European nights, that's the way they want to go. There's no reason to think they will not be able to do it on a regular basis. "Everybody is desperate for this to work and there is no doubt that this is going to work. It is a top drawer stadium, that's absolutely certain. It's all very exciting and extremely positive. "I was overwhelmed and I couldn't really believe it to be honest. It was truly remarkable. There has been so much effort, attention to detail and work that has gone in. It's a club to be proud of. "I was thrilled and thrilled with the stadium. I think they've done a fantastic job, it's a great stadium and we're all extremely proud of it. I think everybody is."
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Slaven Bilic urges West Ham to hurry up with new players and could use Diafra Sakho By Lyall Thomas Last Updated: 05/08/16 8:09am SSN
Slaven Bilic says West Ham urgently need new players after the club moved a step closer to the Europa League group stage - and he admitted he may yet be forced to use Diafra Sakho.
The Hammers beat NK Domzale in their first ever match at the London Stadium to secure a play-off clash, and Bilic's side could therefore play five games before the end of the month.
Bilic is still without Euro 2016 stars Dimitri Payet, James Collins and Angelo Ogbonna, while several key players face injury lay-offs, and he admits his side's start to the Premier League could be hampered. "I have no problems saying that playing in the Europa League lowers your chances in the Premier League," Bilic said. "It doesn't matter, we want to try. It brings positive things. You gain something, you lose something. "Basically we have five games before the September international break and this squad is not big enough. Hopefully we will have a minimum of five players to add to this squad."
Sakho's potential move to West Brom collapsed on Thursday after he failed a medical and, although Bilic admitted he was "surprised", he suggested he wants the player to be an asset for them. "I don't know any details. He's our player, he's contracted to us, and could be a great player. That's all I can say about it. "I am a bit sorry for him and a bit surprised that he didn't pass the medical. He's a good player, he's our player and as long as he is our player he is very capable. He's a quality player."
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PAULO FREITAS ON WHAT JONATHAN CALLERI WILL BRING TO WEST HAM MICHAEL OLIVER @ReadWestHam
Once the 2016 Rio Olympics are over and done with, West Ham are expected to complete the signing of Deportivo Maldonado striker Jonathan Calleri on a season-long loan. The 22-year-old striker made his name in Argentina with Boca Juniors before being bought by the wealthy Uruguayan outfit and immediately shipped out on loan to Brazilian giants Sao Paulo in January.
In 31 appearances for Sao Paulo, Calleri netted 16 goals earning him a place in the Argentina squad for the Olympic Games, who played their first game yesterday and suffered a disappointing 2-0 loss to Portugal.
Calleri is considered as one of the best young forwards in South American football and the Hammers are believed to have beaten off the likes of Barcelona, Sevilla and Inter Milan to his signature. To no surprise, us and many West Ham fans don't know terribly much about Jonathan Calleri, so we sat down with South American football expert Paulo Freitas to find out more.
Jonathan Calleri is a name most West Ham fans would not have been too familiar with prior to this summer, could you detail some of his key attributes?
Technically, Calleri is a very strong player. His aerial ability is impressive and he is a clinical finisher.
Calleri has been touted in the past as the 'new Carlos Tevez' and spent considerable time playing with him at Boca. Would you draw any comparisons in their style of play?
I don't think the style is too similar, Calleri is more like a poacher although he is a bit more than just that. Tevez is shorter but also bulkier and he is also a more complete and technically gifted player.
When Tevez first moved to England with West Ham it took him several months to adjust to the rigours of the Premier League. Would you imagine Calleri facing similar issues?
I think Calleri will adapt quicker, his style is more suited to Premier League and he has a better mentality than Tevez too.
The likes of Inter Milan, Sevilla and Barcelona have all said to have attempted to sign Calleri after he made a name for himself with Sao Palo. Do you think he has the game to be effective in European football?
Calleri is not really good enough for a team like Barcelona right now, but his style is more than good enough to succeed in Europe, No doubt he would have been more than good enough for teams like Sevilla and Inter.
Where does Calleri rank amongst some of the other bright and emerging talents in South America?
I would place him in a second tier of promising South American players, behind the likes of Gabigol and new Manchester City signing Gabriel Jesus, for example, but still above the vast majority of players in the continent.
It's hard to judge now, but knowing what you do about the player, where do you see Calleri in five years?
I expect him to play in a regular basis for Argentina's national team in five years and to have moved to team in Spain or Italy, a team like Atlético de Madrid or Napoli or similar. He has the talent to play at that level one day.
And finally, in one sentence, what should West Ham expect from Jonathan Calleri?
West Ham fans should expect a determined striker with lethal goalscoring skills.
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WHY WEST HAM WILL EXORCISE THEIR EUROPA LEAGUE GROUP-STAGE GHOST
5 August 2016
ladbrokes.co.uk
Slaven Bilic appeared to sacrifice West Ham's bid for a first Europa League group-stage appearance 12 months ago after his side's 2-2 first-leg at home to Astra Giurgiu, with the then-new boss replacing the entire first XI, mostly with youngsters, ahead of the 2-1 second-leg loss.
He had excuses, to an extent, with former skipper Kevin Nolan quoting afterwards: "The gaffer has shown in his selection the main priority is the Premier League and this year the main thing is to make sure we go to the Olympic Stadium in the Premier League."
Bilic managed as much and more, with wins over Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle and Manchester City in his first six top-flight games in charge allaying early fears such as Nolan's, culminating in seventh place and another stab at the continent's consolation cup. There are no excuses now we know how good Dimitri Payet is, and how effectively Bilic utilised fellow new men Pedro Obiang, Angelo Ogbonna, Michail Antonio and Manuel Lanzini, now signed permanently from Al Jazira Club after an impressive loan campaign.
As luck would have it, they've been drawn against the same club at the same stage of the same tournament, giving Bilic a chance to show his true colours. West Ham have had two fewer qualifying matches this term, and while Man City away lies in wait the Sunday after their home second leg, as Arsenal did 12 months ago following the 'disappointment' in Romania, they will at least be a couple of fixtures into the Premier League campaign.
The Irons are 25/1 to win the Europa League, with Manchester United 15/2 favourites.
City's 12/1 odds of winning the Champions League weren't shaken by another trip to Romania, with Steaua Bucharest drawn as Pep Guardiola's first European opponents at the helm of the two-time Premier League champions.
Celtic may feel a little miffed about missing out on League of Ireland side Dundalk, but did manage to avoid tricky Croatian crowd Dinamo Zagreb and Bulgarian nouveau riche Ludogorets Razgrad, with the Scottish Premiership giants, 500/1 to win the Champions League, faced with a trip to Israel's Hapoel Beer-Sheva.
Dundalk, who don't currently attract an outright price in Ladbrokes' Champions League betting, will play Polish champions Legia Warsaw.
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New signing Havard Nordtveit excited about West Ham future after "special" first night in the London Stadium 13:00, 5 AUG 2016 UPDATED 13:38, 5 AUG 2016 BY NEIL MCLEMAN The 26-year-old is back in the Premier League after leaving Arsenal six years ago The Mirror
West Ham's new signing Havard Nordtveit has insisted he has nothing to prove on his return to English football. The Norway midfielder signed for Arsenal in 2007 but never made a first-team appearance. He was loaned out three times before being sold to Borussia Monchengladbach in 2010. But Nordtveit, now 26, is now back in the Premier League after joining the Hammers on a five-year deal after a Bosman transfer. He made his home debut in the Europa League play-off win over NK Domzale at the new London Stadium and described it as a "special night". Nordveit, who signed on a Bosman deal, said: "I feel settled in already. "Of course, coming from Germany to England I'm still trying to adapt to the football a little bit but so far, so good. I'm really happy to be a part of the Hammers and looking forward to playing many more games. "Do I have anything to prove back in England? No, I had five and a half quite good years in Germany and now I've played in Bundesliga I know how that league is and I want to try to get as many games as possible in the Premier League and also the other cups and everything here with West Ham. It's football."
Slaven Bilic's side won 3-0 to reach the final qualifying round and will now play FC Astra. And Nordtveit added: "It was a special night not only for me but for the whole team, with the 'Bubbles' song on when you walk out there's always something special and also the crowd were fantastic so we're looking forward to more of those games. "Of course there's always some nerves but I think we all were quite sure that we had the quality to beat them at home. Not only that we lost the last game but also the new stadium, you always want to make a good start and today was a good start."
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West Ham midfielder Havard Nordtveit hopeful Bundesliga spell will allow him to impress in the Premier League West Ham played at the their new Olympic Stadium home for the first time Norwegian midfielder Havard Nordtveit made first appearance for club The game came five-and-a-half years after he left London rivals Arsenal He found his form again in Bundesliga with Borussia Monchengladbach By OLIVER TODD FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 13:29, 5 August 2016 | UPDATED: 13:29, 5 August 2016
West Ham new boy Havard Nordtveit says he has nothing to prove in England after the former Arsenal youngster made his first appearance for an English club on home soil. Norwegian midfielder Nordtveit looked comfortable anchoring the Hammers' midfield on a special first night at the Olympic Stadium in their 3-0 Europa League win over Domzale on Thursday.
The game came five-and-a-half years after he left London rivals Arsenal for Borussia Monchengladbach having failed to break through under Arsene Wenger. Nordtveit captained the club's reserve side, was given a squad number and named on the bench for the first team but never made it on to the pitch. But his focus lies solely on West Ham now having made his home debut on the first night at their new Olympic Stadium home. 'I had five-and-a-half quite good years in Germany,' Nordtveit said. 'Now I've played in Bundesliga I know how that league is and I want to try to get as many games as possible in the Premier League and also the other cups and everything here with West Ham. 'Of course, coming from Germany to England I'm still trying to adapt to the football a little bit but it's so far, so good. I'm really happy to be a part of the Hammers and looking forward to playing many more games.' Nordveit, 26, played in a three-man midfield alongside West Ham captain Mark Noble and double-goalscorer Cheikhou Kouyate, while another new signing Sofiane Feghouli grabbed the clincher as they overcame a 2-1 first-leg deficit at the Olympic Stadium. Their new home received widespread praise from supporters on Thursday night, but Nordtveit's main memory is of something of a home comfort from Upton Park. 'It was a special night,' he said. 'Not only for me but for the whole team, with the 'Bubbles' song on when you walk out there's always something special and also the crowd were fantastic so we're looking forward to more of those games. 'I felt comfortable from the first minute, I thought the fans might be too far away here but you could hear them as soon as we walked in.'
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West Ham at the London Stadium: New era but the same old traditions for the Hammers KEN DYER Evening Standard
As West Ham's first game in the London Stadium, it could not have gone much better. A comfortable 3-0 victory over Slovenian side NK Domzale and smooth progression into the play-off round of the Europa League. No new injuries for Hammers boss Slaven Bilic as he contemplates the considerable, extra commitment of the Europa League. A full house of 54,000 fans, with the West Ham faithful experiencing, for the first time, their bigger, better and brighter new home. There were comparisons being made everywhere. Instead of Nathan's pie and mash shop on the Barking Road, it was Jamie Oliver's Italian in Westfield. Instead of Queen's Market in Green Street, it was John Lewis.
Some things were the same, though. The first chorus of West Ham's famous old song 'Bubbles' echoed and then finally filled this impressive new stadium, just as it used to do, three miles up the road at the Boleyn. Bilic's final game back there, a dramatic victory over Manchester United, is already fading in the memory yet the old place is the scene of one final piece of drama. Next week, Pierce Brosnan begins shooting Final Score at the Boleyn, a film apparently about a group of armed criminals holding 35,000 fans hostage.
Of course, things were not perfect and everyone, Bilic's team included, will need time to settle in to their new environment. The feat of uprooting to a new stadium, almost doubling your capacity - and then filling it - should, however, not be downplayed. There was plenty of scepticism when West Ham proposed the move about just how many empty seats there would be in the former Olympic Stadium.
Last night there were no open spaces and when West Ham face Bournemouth in their first home Premier League match, the attendance should be up to 60,000 after outstanding works are completed. Owners David Sullivan and David Gold plus vice chairman Karren Brady should take great credit for that.
Yes, there were some quiet moments in the third qualifying round tie, as West Ham overturned a 2-1 first-leg deficit courtesy of Cheikhou Kouyate's double and a goal from Sofiane Feghouli, but that was to be expected against less than top class opposition.
Bilic was pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere generated. He said: "I didn't know what the atmosphere would be like. I have heard the people talking about the Rugby World Cup but I wasn't there. This was the first time that we could check and it was more than I expected. It is loud, you can hear the crowd, feel them.
"There is no point in comparing it to Upton Park, it is totally different. It was a good atmosphere and I am not afraid of the new stadium."
Michail Antonio, who sampled the atmosphere at the Boleyn in his first season at the club, also declared himself satisfied with the club's new surroundings.
"It was decent," he said. "The crowd had moments when they were loud. You could feel the vibe and it was great. Hopefully those moments will become more constant."
'I didn't know what the atmosphere would be like but it was more than I expected - it is loud'
Slaven Bilic
What was more important to Antonio and his team-mates were the playing conditions, the pitch and the extra space.
"The pitch was beautiful, one of the best I've ever played on which is good for us because we like to get it down and play," said Antonio.
"Things are looking good. This is the first game so we have to get used to things. The pitch is bigger. Once, I thought I was tight on the touchline but when I looked, I was three yards infield. Now we have another game on Sunday, against Juventus, and by the time we play Bournemouth in our first home Premier League match, I'll be ready and settled in.
"This move can only be good for us. The club have the history and now we have taken the steps to move us on. The bigger stadium will help bring in the revenue to attract better players."
The only worry for Bilic, apart from the long-term injuries to Aaron Cresswell and Manuel Lanzini, is the strength of his squad ahead of a demanding Europa League schedule. "Playing in the Europa League does lower your chances in the Premier League," he said.
"You gain and lose something. We have five games before the September break and the squad is not big enough. Hopefully, we'll add two players minimum."
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West Ham analysis: Kouyate sets the tone as the fans find their groove at the Olympic Stadium MATCH REPORT: Kouyate fires Hammers through as the gates open at Stratford JOHN DILLON Evening Standard
It was slightly reminiscent of the beginning of one of those teenage parties when everybody is too self-conscious to get up and dance. But West Ham settled into their new home comfortably enough in the end, even if the choruses of Bubbles were a little apprehensive and the chanting was a trifle muted and uncertain as they saw off the Slovenians of NK Domzale to progress to the Europa League's final play-off round. What else was to be expected? The one thing that was made strikingly vivid as soon as the crowds negotiated Stratford Station and the Olympic Park to head towards the vast new stadium was that the club has undergone one of the most dramatic and instant character changes of any organisation in the history of English football.
Everybody knew this was the case beforehand, of course. This will never be anything like the Boleyn, which was one of the great, intense, blood-rushing, working class theatres of the old football world. But to see the culture shift made real, concrete and unchangeable like this was still a shock to the system of most supporters and consequently, they seemed a little bewildered, a little unsure of themselves and their new surroundings and a little dumb-struck by the occasion in east London on Thursday. Here it all was: A new, unfamiliar ordered, neat, corporate and hi-vis spectacle. Football 2016 style. Hugely exciting and progressive and yet unnerving at first for the faithful, too. It is going to take some getting used to. There are no two ways about it, even if the general and correct acceptance among the faithful is that the move from the Boleyn represents necessary progress. And that really, there was no alternative to accepting the offer once a giant Olympic arena arose from the dirt and the debris into a gleaming new world just down the road.
By the 78th minute here, though, the midfielder, Cheikhou Kouyate was receiving a standing ovation as he was substituted after scoring the two first half goals which put Slaven Bilic's side firmly in command of the tie. And the house-warming effect was beginning. Juventus are in this place on Sunday for the official opening and then, after that, the real business will begin.
"An easy evening's work for West Ham draws to a close and a little history is made with a club-record attendance of 54,000 recorded and a place in the Europa League play-off round secured. It's been a little odd, a little unsettling and a little awkward but very satisfactory too. But then the club and the supporters are in the midst of a change which is altering the whole nature and character of the Hammers. This, too, was a low-key tie against limited opposition in early August. It wouldn't have set Upton Park ablaze with passion, either. The future, however, is here and just for now, it is claret and blue."
That is when the new ground will begin to show its true colours, we presume.
A winter's Saturday evening with Tottenham or Chelsea doing battle in here is likely to electrify the place, even if its newness means it will not replicate the raw and gritty favours of the old ancestral home.
This, by contrast, was something akin to a pre-season friendly played on a warm early August evening with a holiday mood in the air. Yes, it was a competitive tie - in name, anyway, although it was a simple task for West Ham to rectify the mistakes of the first tie.
New signing Sofiane Feghouli added a third midway through the second-half and a simple night's work had been concluded - putting right the dreadful first leg performance in Ljubljana in which the Hammers had succumbed to a surprise 2-1 defeat.
There is no denying that the supporters are far removed from the pitch, which is a huge contrast with the raucous and intimidating intimacy generated for so many uproarious decades across the way in Green Street. But take it from me - it feels closer inside than it looks on TV and in photographs and it can be made to work.
The pitch appears vast, which will suit the yearnings of the faithful here for driving, expansive football. Once the crowd gets used to things and the intensity level of the matches played here is ratcheted up, the noise levels will surely increase in tandem.
Perhaps it is outside the ground, in the clean, open, airy Olympic Park, with its fun fair, its boat rides and its wide open walkways that the contrasts with the old West Ham is most striking.
These surroundings could not be more far removed from the dirty, tumbling, hemmed in streets which enclosed Upton Park. There are no big old Victorian boozers like the famous Boleyn on the corner of Green Street and Barking Road here, either.
But that is the deal, and the fans understand that time has moved on and nothing lasts forever. The whole of football is changing very quickly on a dramatic scale and at very high speed.
These supporters seem ready to buy into this new home and make it live, even if it is going to take a while to settle in. They have no choice, of course. But they know what the claret-and-blue future looks like.
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Juventus star Gianluigi Buffon set to finally play against his beloved West Ham HITC Damien Lucas
Juventus and Italy superstar goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon finally gets the chance to play against his beloved West Ham United this weekend. The Hammers take on the Italian giants in the official opening game at West Ham's new 60,000-seater Olympic Stadium home. It is the final warm-up game ahead of a busy new season for both clubs and is a prestigious event for Slaven Bilic's men given some of the talent in the Serie A champions' squad. They may be shorn of star midfielder Paul Pogba by then but Juve are bolstered by the £75 million signing of Gonzalo Higuain from Napoli and boast almost the entire Italian national team's defence at the back. That includes Italian legend Gianluigi Buffon, one of the best goalkeepers of all time, and an avid West Ham fan. In his book Buffon said that the Hammers were one of five teams he would love to play for. "West Ham: Because of the supporters: I knew the West Ham supporters during my time as a supporter (Ultra)," Buffon wrote in his book when discussing his favourite teams. "Those guys (West Ham supporters) follow the Hammers with an extraordinary energy. And because of the logo (club crest): Two crossed hammers. Almost communist, if I think about it."
Buffon will see first hand just how passionate the Hammers fans are when a sell-out crowd greets him at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday. Indeed West Ham are now officially the second-best supported club in England behind only Manchester United after selling out 52,000 season tickets. Buffon is one of those rare players who is seemingly loved by football fans the world over. A true gentleman, as well as a living legend, Hammers fans will take great pride in his comments about them and are sure to give him a warm reception when he comes to London this weekend.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Saturday, August 6
Thursday, August 4
Daily WHUFC News - 5th August 2016
Cheik double crowns historic night
WHUFC.com
West Ham United 3-0 NK Domzale
A Cheikhou Kouyate double and a maiden strike for Sofiane Feghouli crowned a
historic night for West Ham United at the new Stadium after the side secured
progression to the play-off stages of the Europa League.
Slovenian side NK Domzale were downed by Senegal midfielder Kouyate's first
half brace before Feghouli struck in the final ten minutes to record a 4-2
aggregate victory over two legs in east London.
In a first half the Hammers dominated, the opener came as a result of a
slick move. Skipper Mark Noble released Enner Valencia who, twisting and
turning, laid back to full-back Sam Byram.
First time, Byram slid the ball across goal for Kouyate to push past the
goalkeeper and give the hosts a lead seven minutes into the tie.
And he was at the double 17 minutes later, prodding home to extend Slaven
Bilic's side's lead. Andy Carroll started the move, feeding Michail Antonio
who came racing down the right-hand-side.
The full-back, standing up a cross to the back stick, found Carroll again,
who cleverly knocked down for the Senegal international to finish.
The visitors were limited to half-chances and pot shots, their best coming
after half an hour. Zan Majer struck well from 20 yards but saw his effort
clear the crossbar.
Having never even scored a brace before, it was so nearly a hat-trick for
Kouyate moments later. Antonio again was quick out the blocks, but his
square pass across the six-yard-box – on a plate for Kouyate – was
excellently cut out by right-back Alvaro Brachi.
From the resulting corner, Valencia didn't connect properly with a volley as
it sailed well over, but a minute before the break, it was a different story
for Antonio. His first time volley flew inches wide before the referee
brought things to a halt.
Despite seeing little of the ball in the first half, the Slovenians started
the second period brightly, and tested Darren Randolph early on. Matic Crnic
broke away down the left-hand-side and, cutting in, struck a fierce drive
straight at the Republic of Ireland stopper.
Another opportunity for a third came the Hammers' way halfway through the
second period, as the lively Feghouli connected with an Antonio cross, only
to nod just wide of Axel Maraval's right-hand post.
And moments later, the Algerian was at it again, finding some space
following Valencia's pass but driving just wide.
There was joy for the winger late on however, as he opened his Hammers
account to secure the team's Europa League progression.
Mark Noble released the Algerian and, racing beyond the Domzale defence, he
fired fiercely past the goalkeeper to put the result beyond doubt.
The Slovenians had little left, and the Hammers played out the final ten
minutes comfortably to seal their place in the next round of the
competition.
West Ham United: Randolph, Antonion, Reid, Oxford, Byram, Feghouli (Quina
88), Nordtveit, Noble, Kouyate (Obiang 78), Valencia, Carroll (Fletcher 90).
Subs not used: Adrian, Burke, Page, Cullen.
Goals: Kouyate 8, 25, Feghouli 81
Bookings: Antonio 42, Feghouli 82
NK Domzale: Maraval, Brachi, Horic, Crnic, Horvat (Husmani 62), Dobrovoljic,
Balkovec, Majer (Juninho 77), Alvir, Morel, Mance (Bratanovic 68).
Subs not used: Milic, Vetrih, Repas, Blazic.
Bookings: Crnic 3, Horic 47
Referee: Freddie Fautrel
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A message from the Vice-Chairman
WHUFC.com
For the very first time in this Stadium's glorious history, our magnificent
new home will play host to European football. Tonight, West Ham United will
run out at London Stadium in front of a sell-out 54,000 crowd. What an
extraordinary moment it will be for all connected with this famous football
club.
Everyone has worked around the clock to prepare for this evening. And
despite the match being played sooner in the season that expected, I'm
delighted that you will see London Stadium in full football mode from day
one and, I assure you, no matter where you sit, the sightlines are
fantastic.
Thanks to a great deal of hard work, the retractable seating on all sides is
in its forward position and so you will get a true taste of all that awaits
at our new home. But, as a result of our commitment to reposition the
seating in time, there is of course still even more West Ham branding to
follow. The void between the two tiers of retractable seating will be filled
with West Ham branding and, of course, Europe's largest digital screens will
be installed
As you will already have seen, we're asking you to arrive as early as you
can this evening. This is a learning curve for us all and it's naturally
going to take a little bit of time to get used to our new surroundings and
our journey's to the ground .
The earlier you arrive, the easier it will be, and rest assured we are doing
everything in our power to create the very best match day experience
possible and turnstiles will be open two hours prior to kick-off and all the
food kiosks and bars will be open. Please keep an eye out for the matchday
volunteers this evening, who will be on hand to point you in the right
direction and to help in any way they can.
But in essence, tonight is about two things. The football and you, our loyal
fans. I hope you're going to be so immensely proud when you step foot inside
our new home for the first time tonight.
It is the home you deserve. You shared our vision, your input helped us to
design this stunning arena and, together, we have filled it full of West Ham
fans. Enjoy the occasion and please share your feedback directly with us so
that we can continue to work together and make any necessary adjustments to
get it absolutely right over the coming weeks.
I've said it before and I shall say it again. This is a game changer for our
football club. An exciting new dawn.
The stage is set. It's time to let the football do the talking.
Enjoy it!
Karren Brady
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers await play-off round draw
WHUFC.com
West Ham United will discover the identity of their UEFA Europa League
play-off round opponents in Friday's draw.
Following the Hammers' 4-2 aggregate victory over NK Domzale, the draw will
take place at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, with West Ham
entering as one of the seeded teams.
In total there will be 44 teams attempting to join the 26 sides who gain
direct entry to the Europa League group phase.
Fifteen of the teams in the play-off round are those who were defeated in
the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round, with the other 29 coming
through the Europa League's qualifying process.
Among the opponents the Hammers could face are the likes of Swiss side
Grasshopper, Danish outfit Brondby and Astra Giurgiu, the Romanian team who
took on the Hammers in last season's Europa League.
The play-off round ties will be played on 18 and 25 August.
UEFA Europa League play-off round line-up
Seeded teams Unseeded teams
Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) Rosenborg (NOR)
Olympiacos (GRE) Astana (KAZ)
Anderlecht (BEL) Astra Giurgiu (ROU)
AZ (NED) Hajduk Split (CRO)
Fenerbahce (TUR) Arouca (POR)
Sparta Prague (CZE) Grasshopper (SUI)
PAOK (GRE) AEK Larnaca (CYP)
Genk (BEL) Vojvodina (SRB)
BATE Borisov (BLR) Istanbul Basaksehir (TUR)
Saint-Etienne (FRA) Brondby (DEN)
Gent (BEL) Red Star Belgrade (SRB)
Krasnodar (RUS) Osmanlispor (TUR)
Rapid Wien (AUT) Slavia Prague (CZE)
Slovan Liberec (CZE) IFK Goteborg (SWE)
Maribor (SLO) Dinamo Tiblisi (GEO)
Maccabi Tel Aviv (ISR) Lokomotiva Zagreb (CRO)
Austria Wien (AUT) AS Trencin (SRB)
West Ham United (ENG) Gabala (AZE)
Panathinaikos (GRE) Beitar Jerusalem (ISR)
Midtjylland (DEN) SonderjyskE (DEN)
Sassuolo (ITA) Shkendija Tetovo (MAC)
Qarabag (AZE) Partizani Tirana (ALB)
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bilic – It was a special night
WHUFC.com
Hammers boss Slaven Bilic was delighted as his side progressed to the Europa
League play-off stages
Cheikhou Kouyate and Sofiane Feghouli were on the scoresheet in the 3-0 win
over NK Domzale
Bilic said it was special to step out in front of 54,000
It was a special night according to West Ham boss Slaven Bilic, after his
side progressed to the Europa League play-off stages with a 3-0 victory in
the Club's new home.
A super strike from Sofiane Feghouli came after a Cheikhou Kouyate first
half double to down NK Domzale and record a 4-2 aggregate victory over their
Slovenian opponents.
And in front of a 54,000-strong crowd in the London Stadium, Bilic said his
team deserved the convincing result.
He said: "It was a special kind of game for us, the first game at the new
Stadium. We played good football. It was totally different to the game in
Slovenia.
"The early goal helped, but we deserved it. We pushed and concentrated for
the whole 90 minutes but 3-0 is a good result for us. We are through and
it's important because it is in front of the crowd in the new Stadium. It
was a good night for West Ham.
"We deserved it, played some good stuff and the crowd could enjoy some of
our beautiful moves from the whole team. I like the way we defended and
attacked."
Domzale, three games into their domestic season, were better prepared for
the clash, according to Bilic, but the Hammers fought to comfortably reduce
their opponents to few chances on goal.
And the Croatian moved to praise his goalscorers who, to the delight of the
packed crowd, sealed the victory for the east Londoners.
"Cheikhou has a great engine and determination and quality and those large,
long strides make the pitch look small when he's covering it," Bilic
continued. "He's a great asset.
"Sometimes when he plays deeper it limits his movement up front. He's a top
player and he's getting in good shape.
"Sofiane Feghouli is a special kind of player and that's why we're happy to
get him. He scored a great goal and could have got more. He works hard for
the team.
"He still isn't in his best shape, which is normal for this stage, and when
he does, we're expecting great things from him.
"It was brilliant to go out in front of a packed, loud Stadium. We enjoyed
it."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
THU, 04 AUG 2016EUROPA LEAGUE - QUALIFYING THIRD ROUND - 2ND LEG
(Agg 4-2)
West Ham United 3-0 NK Domzale (agg 4-2)
BBC.co.uk
West Ham United are one tie away from joining Manchester United and
Southampton in the Europa League group stage draw
Cheikhou Kouyate scored twice as West Ham marked the first match at their
new home by beating NK Domzale to reach the Europa League play-off round.
Trailing 2-1 from the first leg, the Hammers drew level on aggregate when
Kouyate scored the first goal at the former Olympic Stadium, now the London
Stadium, in front of a 53,914 crowd.
Kouyate flicked home Sam Byram's cross before firing West Ham 3-2 ahead in
the tie after Andy Carroll's knock down.
Sofiane Feghouli added the third.
The play-off round draw is on Friday.
Having left Upton Park - their home for the past 112 years - in the summer,
West Ham were starting a new era in the stadium that hosted athletics at
London 2012.
Any concerns the unfamiliar surroundings would hamper Slaven Bilic's side
were quickly dispelled, largely thanks to Kouyate's two goals in 17
first-half minutes.
The Hammers were greeted with a rendition of 'I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles'
from the sell-out crowd as they emerged from the tunnel.
They then stylishly turned a 2-1 first-leg deficit into a 4-2 aggregate win
four years to the day Jessica Ennis-Hill, Greg Rutherford and Mo Farah all
won Olympic gold at the venue for Great Britain on what has become known as
Super Saturday.
Senegal midfielder Kouyate clearly enjoyed his new surroundings and his
goals dispersed any nerves the home side might have been feeling.
Algeria winger Ferguli, a free transfer after six seasons at Valencia,
rubber-stamped a comprehensive win on his home debut with a neat finish
following Mark Noble's threaded pass.
Who next for the Hammers?
West Ham must clear one more hurdle to secure a place in the Europa League
group stage.
They will join 43 other clubs in Friday's play-off round draw, which
includes 15 losers from the 2016-17 Champions League third qualifying round.
The Hammers enter the draw as one of the seeded teams and could face,
amongst others, Grasshopper Zurich, Danish club Brondby and Astra Giurgiu,
the Romanian team who knocked the Hammers out at the third qualifying round
stage of last season's Europa League.
West Ham United's new ground
West Ham United's first Premier League game at their new ground is against
Bournemouth on 21 August
'Atmosphere more than I expected'
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic: "It was difficult psychologically for us but
for the stage we are at we played really well. We were fit, aggressive and
played good football.
"We could have scored more goals, but it was a very mature performance. We
played badly in the first leg but a week later we are fresher and closer to
the season.
"I didn't know what the atmosphere would be like. This was the first time we
could judge it and it was more than I expected. It's loud."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Diafra Sakho: West Brom deal to sign West Ham striker for record fee off
By Pat Murphy
BBC Radio 5 live
West Brom's £15m move for West Ham striker Diafra Sakho is off because the
player has a back problem.
It is understood the Senegalese did not fail his medical but he would not
have been fit for the start of the season.
Sakho, 26, scored 15 league goals in 44 appearances for West Ham, although
he has suffered several injury problems.
His likely arrival had added to speculation that the club would sell striker
Saido Berahino, 23, who is a target for Crystal Palace and Stoke.
The Potters have offered £17m with £3m in add-ons for the England Under-21
international - a fee which is close to West Brom's valuation of the
striker.
However, with the Sakho deal now off, Berahino will be remaining at the
club.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 3-0 NK Domzale (agg 4-2): Cheikhou Kouyate nets double
Last Updated: 04/08/16 10:59pm
SSN
West Ham won their first game at the London Stadium, beating NK Domzale 3-0
to progress to the next round of the Europa League. Holding a 2-1 advantage
from the first leg, the Slovenian outfit were in town to crash the
housewarming party at the Olympic Park but two early goals from Cheikhou
Kouyate erased any hopes of a huge shock. The Hammers, who played a strong
side, were never really troubled by the visitors and grabbed a third late on
through new signing Sofiane Feghouli.
Four years to the day since Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis-Hill and Greg Rutherford
wowed the nation on Super Saturday at London 2012, the Olympic Stadium - now
known as the London Stadium - finally welcomed its new tenants.
The Hammers will officially open the ground with a glamour friendly against
Juventus on Sunday, but required this dry-run after defeat in the final
match of last season condemned them to a seventh-placed finish and into the
third round of qualifying.
West Ham's new abode was a 54,000 sell-out.
It did not take long for the players to settle into their new surroundings,
with Kouyate grabbing his slice of history with the first goal after just
eight minutes.
A superb lofted pass from skipper Mark Noble sent Enner Valencia racing
through, although he had to check his run to evade sliding right-back Alvaro
Brachi.
Valencia cut the ball back to Sam Byram, who made a mess of his shot but the
ball bobbled as far as Kouyate for a simple back-heel from six yards out
Kouyate grabbed the second, and edged West Ham ahead in the tie, in the 25th
minute when Andy Carroll nodded down Michail Antonio's cross into his path
for a neat, low finish.
After the break, Feghouli headed narrowly wide before Valencia squandered a
gilt-edged chance with a horribly sliced effort.
Domzale knew one goal would force extra time but they could only muster up a
couple of forays into West Ham territory, with Benjamin Morel firing their
best chance wide.
Instead, with nine minutes remaining, Algerian winger Feghouli raced onto
Noble's pass and crashed in the killer third to prolong West Ham's European
adventure and, more importantly, ensure a winning start at their new home.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham and Slaven Bilic enjoyed opening night at London Stadium
Last Updated: 04/08/16 11:47pm
SSN
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic says the noise at the London Stadium was even
louder than he was expecting. The Hammers christened their new home,
formerly known as the Olympic Stadium, with a routine 3-0 win over Slovenian
side MK Domzale in the second leg of a Europa League tie on Thursday night.
Bilic's team comfortably bounced back after last week's shock 2-1 loss,
Cheikhou Kouyate scoring twice before new signing Sofiane Feghouli opened
his account in the second half. And West Ham's new abode was a 54,000
sell-out, despite not looking quite the finished product, with a
hastily-laid mixture of astroturf and tarpaulin covering the athletics
track. "The atmosphere?" said Bilic. "I didn't know what it would be like.
"This was the first time we could judge it and it was more than I expected.
It's loud. "It was brilliant to go out in front of a packed, loud stadium."
Regarding the performance, Bilic felt it was a case of job done, adding:
"It's a good feeling. We played well but we aren't going to go overboard.
"It was difficult psychologically for us but, for the stage we are at, we
played really good. We were fit, aggressive and played good football. "We
could have scored more goals, but it was a very mature performance. We
played badly in the first leg but a week later we are fresher and closer to
the season."
Domzale coach Luka Elsner said: "If you want to have any hope against such a
big team, then you have to play an excellent game. "Unfortunately we played
a bad game, so the result is logical. But I am proud of my boys."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham have struck Olympic gold after swapping an East End starter home
for their new London mansion
23:43, 4 AUG 2016
OPINION BY DARRENLEWIS
The Hammers settled into their new surroundings with a comfortable 3-0 win
over NK Domzale in the Europa League qualifiers on Thursday night
The Mirror
Four years ago it was the setting for that historic Super Saturday as our
athletes plundered a gold rush to lift the nation.
Last night it was West Ham's turn to strike gold in the venue formerly known
as the Olympic Stadium.
It is now the London Stadium and the Irons could not have kicked off their
slippers and eased their feet under the table of their new home any better.
After all the legal wrangling, the criticism, the controversy and the
apprehension – they let their football take centre stage. And what a stage
it is. You simply could not get any further removed than this from Upton
Park.
West Ham really have made the step up to the next level. They will stage
some special days and nights of football here. It will feel as though they
have gone from a starter home to a mansion.
They will feel as though they are playing at Wembley Stadium every week –
and when the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs come here the atmosphere
will be electric.
Cheikhou Kouyate's brace put the hosts one round away from the Europa League
group stages.
The Senegalese midfielder struck in the eighth and 25th minutes to cancel
out the shock advantage held by Slovenian minnows Domzale from the first
leg.
New Hammers signing Sofiane Feghouli added a cracking third to end the
visitors' hopes of a comeback and confirm his club's place in today's
play-off draw.
Kouyate netted the first-ever goal at the London Stadium early on when he
deftly flicked Sam Byram's cross beyond keeper Axel Maraval.
His second was even better, poking the ball home inside the box after Andy
Carroll had knocked Michail Antonio's cross down into this path.
For the third, Mark Noble, deep in his own half, sent a superb, cross-field
ball over the top. Feghouli controlled it on his chest before racing clear
and hitting it past Maraval. Job done.
Before the game there was an eerie mix of fascination and foreboding as fans
streamed in to be greeted by a vast expanse compared to the cramped,
claustrophobic arena that had been their previous home.
They'd taken their pictures in front of the many giant badges plastered
around outside. They'd sampled outside the magnificent job to make this
place ready for the coming season of Premier League and European football.
There was no wet cement, no wet paint, there were no construction
malfunctions.
A green tarpaulin did cover that running track around the pitch, however.
Compared to Upton Park the players would seem a world away.
The first shouts of 'Bubbles' only really piped up from the Sir Trevor
Brooking Stand a few minutes before the players emerged from the tunnel.
Those chants grew once the PA system blared it out shortly before kick-off.
It was at that point the camera-phones came out around the ground to capture
a moment that would be recorded for posterity.
In all honesty, it couldn't quite match the atmosphere at the 2012 Olympics
as the likes of Mo Farah, Jess Ennis and Greg Rutherford put smiles on the
nation's faces.
Boss Slaven Bilic had told his players before the match that it would be
down to them to create the culture of positivity that the club want to
retain at their new home.
So they did.
Applause rang out as West Ham made the pitch big and dominated the play,
leaving their Europa League opponents Domzale at times chasing shadows.
The official opening of this new ground takes place on Sunday when the
Hammers face Italian champions Juventus in the Betway Cup.
The scoreline in that match, however, won't matter. This test – a game they
had to win – has been a good enough livener.
Now they just can't wait for the Premier League party to get started.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic declares West Ham "are not afraid" of their new stadium after
winning start
23:20, 4 AUG 2016 UPDATED 23:20, 4 AUG 2016
BY DARREN LEWIS
The Hammers took one step closer to the Europa League group stages with a
convincing victory on opening night at the London Stadium
The Mirror
Slaven Bilic toasted his West Ham stars for showing no fear on their dream
London Stadium debut. Cheikou Kouyate hit a stylish double while new signing
Sofiane Feghouli added a cracking third to reach today's play-off draw for
the Europa League group stages. Bilic also praised the club's fans and said:
"I didn't know what the atmosphere would be like. This was the first time we
could judge it and it was more than I expected. It was loud. "You can't
compare it to Upton Park. "It's totally different but it's a good
atmosphere. I'm not afraid of the new stadium. "It was difficult
psychologically for us but for a stage like this we played really good, we
were fit, aggressive and played good football. "We could have scored more
goals, but it was a very mature performance. We played badly in the first
leg but a week later we are fresher and closer to the season."
It was a positive finish to the day for the club after Diafra Sakho after
the striker's £16million move to West Brom broke down hours earlier. Bilic
admitted for the first time that the move had collapsed because of a failed
medical. He said: "I am a bit sorry for him. And a bit surprised he didn't
pass the medical."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
West Ham United 3-0 NK Domzale
A Cheikhou Kouyate double and a maiden strike for Sofiane Feghouli crowned a
historic night for West Ham United at the new Stadium after the side secured
progression to the play-off stages of the Europa League.
Slovenian side NK Domzale were downed by Senegal midfielder Kouyate's first
half brace before Feghouli struck in the final ten minutes to record a 4-2
aggregate victory over two legs in east London.
In a first half the Hammers dominated, the opener came as a result of a
slick move. Skipper Mark Noble released Enner Valencia who, twisting and
turning, laid back to full-back Sam Byram.
First time, Byram slid the ball across goal for Kouyate to push past the
goalkeeper and give the hosts a lead seven minutes into the tie.
And he was at the double 17 minutes later, prodding home to extend Slaven
Bilic's side's lead. Andy Carroll started the move, feeding Michail Antonio
who came racing down the right-hand-side.
The full-back, standing up a cross to the back stick, found Carroll again,
who cleverly knocked down for the Senegal international to finish.
The visitors were limited to half-chances and pot shots, their best coming
after half an hour. Zan Majer struck well from 20 yards but saw his effort
clear the crossbar.
Having never even scored a brace before, it was so nearly a hat-trick for
Kouyate moments later. Antonio again was quick out the blocks, but his
square pass across the six-yard-box – on a plate for Kouyate – was
excellently cut out by right-back Alvaro Brachi.
From the resulting corner, Valencia didn't connect properly with a volley as
it sailed well over, but a minute before the break, it was a different story
for Antonio. His first time volley flew inches wide before the referee
brought things to a halt.
Despite seeing little of the ball in the first half, the Slovenians started
the second period brightly, and tested Darren Randolph early on. Matic Crnic
broke away down the left-hand-side and, cutting in, struck a fierce drive
straight at the Republic of Ireland stopper.
Another opportunity for a third came the Hammers' way halfway through the
second period, as the lively Feghouli connected with an Antonio cross, only
to nod just wide of Axel Maraval's right-hand post.
And moments later, the Algerian was at it again, finding some space
following Valencia's pass but driving just wide.
There was joy for the winger late on however, as he opened his Hammers
account to secure the team's Europa League progression.
Mark Noble released the Algerian and, racing beyond the Domzale defence, he
fired fiercely past the goalkeeper to put the result beyond doubt.
The Slovenians had little left, and the Hammers played out the final ten
minutes comfortably to seal their place in the next round of the
competition.
West Ham United: Randolph, Antonion, Reid, Oxford, Byram, Feghouli (Quina
88), Nordtveit, Noble, Kouyate (Obiang 78), Valencia, Carroll (Fletcher 90).
Subs not used: Adrian, Burke, Page, Cullen.
Goals: Kouyate 8, 25, Feghouli 81
Bookings: Antonio 42, Feghouli 82
NK Domzale: Maraval, Brachi, Horic, Crnic, Horvat (Husmani 62), Dobrovoljic,
Balkovec, Majer (Juninho 77), Alvir, Morel, Mance (Bratanovic 68).
Subs not used: Milic, Vetrih, Repas, Blazic.
Bookings: Crnic 3, Horic 47
Referee: Freddie Fautrel
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
A message from the Vice-Chairman
WHUFC.com
For the very first time in this Stadium's glorious history, our magnificent
new home will play host to European football. Tonight, West Ham United will
run out at London Stadium in front of a sell-out 54,000 crowd. What an
extraordinary moment it will be for all connected with this famous football
club.
Everyone has worked around the clock to prepare for this evening. And
despite the match being played sooner in the season that expected, I'm
delighted that you will see London Stadium in full football mode from day
one and, I assure you, no matter where you sit, the sightlines are
fantastic.
Thanks to a great deal of hard work, the retractable seating on all sides is
in its forward position and so you will get a true taste of all that awaits
at our new home. But, as a result of our commitment to reposition the
seating in time, there is of course still even more West Ham branding to
follow. The void between the two tiers of retractable seating will be filled
with West Ham branding and, of course, Europe's largest digital screens will
be installed
As you will already have seen, we're asking you to arrive as early as you
can this evening. This is a learning curve for us all and it's naturally
going to take a little bit of time to get used to our new surroundings and
our journey's to the ground .
The earlier you arrive, the easier it will be, and rest assured we are doing
everything in our power to create the very best match day experience
possible and turnstiles will be open two hours prior to kick-off and all the
food kiosks and bars will be open. Please keep an eye out for the matchday
volunteers this evening, who will be on hand to point you in the right
direction and to help in any way they can.
But in essence, tonight is about two things. The football and you, our loyal
fans. I hope you're going to be so immensely proud when you step foot inside
our new home for the first time tonight.
It is the home you deserve. You shared our vision, your input helped us to
design this stunning arena and, together, we have filled it full of West Ham
fans. Enjoy the occasion and please share your feedback directly with us so
that we can continue to work together and make any necessary adjustments to
get it absolutely right over the coming weeks.
I've said it before and I shall say it again. This is a game changer for our
football club. An exciting new dawn.
The stage is set. It's time to let the football do the talking.
Enjoy it!
Karren Brady
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers await play-off round draw
WHUFC.com
West Ham United will discover the identity of their UEFA Europa League
play-off round opponents in Friday's draw.
Following the Hammers' 4-2 aggregate victory over NK Domzale, the draw will
take place at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, with West Ham
entering as one of the seeded teams.
In total there will be 44 teams attempting to join the 26 sides who gain
direct entry to the Europa League group phase.
Fifteen of the teams in the play-off round are those who were defeated in
the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round, with the other 29 coming
through the Europa League's qualifying process.
Among the opponents the Hammers could face are the likes of Swiss side
Grasshopper, Danish outfit Brondby and Astra Giurgiu, the Romanian team who
took on the Hammers in last season's Europa League.
The play-off round ties will be played on 18 and 25 August.
UEFA Europa League play-off round line-up
Seeded teams Unseeded teams
Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) Rosenborg (NOR)
Olympiacos (GRE) Astana (KAZ)
Anderlecht (BEL) Astra Giurgiu (ROU)
AZ (NED) Hajduk Split (CRO)
Fenerbahce (TUR) Arouca (POR)
Sparta Prague (CZE) Grasshopper (SUI)
PAOK (GRE) AEK Larnaca (CYP)
Genk (BEL) Vojvodina (SRB)
BATE Borisov (BLR) Istanbul Basaksehir (TUR)
Saint-Etienne (FRA) Brondby (DEN)
Gent (BEL) Red Star Belgrade (SRB)
Krasnodar (RUS) Osmanlispor (TUR)
Rapid Wien (AUT) Slavia Prague (CZE)
Slovan Liberec (CZE) IFK Goteborg (SWE)
Maribor (SLO) Dinamo Tiblisi (GEO)
Maccabi Tel Aviv (ISR) Lokomotiva Zagreb (CRO)
Austria Wien (AUT) AS Trencin (SRB)
West Ham United (ENG) Gabala (AZE)
Panathinaikos (GRE) Beitar Jerusalem (ISR)
Midtjylland (DEN) SonderjyskE (DEN)
Sassuolo (ITA) Shkendija Tetovo (MAC)
Qarabag (AZE) Partizani Tirana (ALB)
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bilic – It was a special night
WHUFC.com
Hammers boss Slaven Bilic was delighted as his side progressed to the Europa
League play-off stages
Cheikhou Kouyate and Sofiane Feghouli were on the scoresheet in the 3-0 win
over NK Domzale
Bilic said it was special to step out in front of 54,000
It was a special night according to West Ham boss Slaven Bilic, after his
side progressed to the Europa League play-off stages with a 3-0 victory in
the Club's new home.
A super strike from Sofiane Feghouli came after a Cheikhou Kouyate first
half double to down NK Domzale and record a 4-2 aggregate victory over their
Slovenian opponents.
And in front of a 54,000-strong crowd in the London Stadium, Bilic said his
team deserved the convincing result.
He said: "It was a special kind of game for us, the first game at the new
Stadium. We played good football. It was totally different to the game in
Slovenia.
"The early goal helped, but we deserved it. We pushed and concentrated for
the whole 90 minutes but 3-0 is a good result for us. We are through and
it's important because it is in front of the crowd in the new Stadium. It
was a good night for West Ham.
"We deserved it, played some good stuff and the crowd could enjoy some of
our beautiful moves from the whole team. I like the way we defended and
attacked."
Domzale, three games into their domestic season, were better prepared for
the clash, according to Bilic, but the Hammers fought to comfortably reduce
their opponents to few chances on goal.
And the Croatian moved to praise his goalscorers who, to the delight of the
packed crowd, sealed the victory for the east Londoners.
"Cheikhou has a great engine and determination and quality and those large,
long strides make the pitch look small when he's covering it," Bilic
continued. "He's a great asset.
"Sometimes when he plays deeper it limits his movement up front. He's a top
player and he's getting in good shape.
"Sofiane Feghouli is a special kind of player and that's why we're happy to
get him. He scored a great goal and could have got more. He works hard for
the team.
"He still isn't in his best shape, which is normal for this stage, and when
he does, we're expecting great things from him.
"It was brilliant to go out in front of a packed, loud Stadium. We enjoyed
it."
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THU, 04 AUG 2016EUROPA LEAGUE - QUALIFYING THIRD ROUND - 2ND LEG
(Agg 4-2)
West Ham United 3-0 NK Domzale (agg 4-2)
BBC.co.uk
West Ham United are one tie away from joining Manchester United and
Southampton in the Europa League group stage draw
Cheikhou Kouyate scored twice as West Ham marked the first match at their
new home by beating NK Domzale to reach the Europa League play-off round.
Trailing 2-1 from the first leg, the Hammers drew level on aggregate when
Kouyate scored the first goal at the former Olympic Stadium, now the London
Stadium, in front of a 53,914 crowd.
Kouyate flicked home Sam Byram's cross before firing West Ham 3-2 ahead in
the tie after Andy Carroll's knock down.
Sofiane Feghouli added the third.
The play-off round draw is on Friday.
Having left Upton Park - their home for the past 112 years - in the summer,
West Ham were starting a new era in the stadium that hosted athletics at
London 2012.
Any concerns the unfamiliar surroundings would hamper Slaven Bilic's side
were quickly dispelled, largely thanks to Kouyate's two goals in 17
first-half minutes.
The Hammers were greeted with a rendition of 'I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles'
from the sell-out crowd as they emerged from the tunnel.
They then stylishly turned a 2-1 first-leg deficit into a 4-2 aggregate win
four years to the day Jessica Ennis-Hill, Greg Rutherford and Mo Farah all
won Olympic gold at the venue for Great Britain on what has become known as
Super Saturday.
Senegal midfielder Kouyate clearly enjoyed his new surroundings and his
goals dispersed any nerves the home side might have been feeling.
Algeria winger Ferguli, a free transfer after six seasons at Valencia,
rubber-stamped a comprehensive win on his home debut with a neat finish
following Mark Noble's threaded pass.
Who next for the Hammers?
West Ham must clear one more hurdle to secure a place in the Europa League
group stage.
They will join 43 other clubs in Friday's play-off round draw, which
includes 15 losers from the 2016-17 Champions League third qualifying round.
The Hammers enter the draw as one of the seeded teams and could face,
amongst others, Grasshopper Zurich, Danish club Brondby and Astra Giurgiu,
the Romanian team who knocked the Hammers out at the third qualifying round
stage of last season's Europa League.
West Ham United's new ground
West Ham United's first Premier League game at their new ground is against
Bournemouth on 21 August
'Atmosphere more than I expected'
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic: "It was difficult psychologically for us but
for the stage we are at we played really well. We were fit, aggressive and
played good football.
"We could have scored more goals, but it was a very mature performance. We
played badly in the first leg but a week later we are fresher and closer to
the season.
"I didn't know what the atmosphere would be like. This was the first time we
could judge it and it was more than I expected. It's loud."
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Diafra Sakho: West Brom deal to sign West Ham striker for record fee off
By Pat Murphy
BBC Radio 5 live
West Brom's £15m move for West Ham striker Diafra Sakho is off because the
player has a back problem.
It is understood the Senegalese did not fail his medical but he would not
have been fit for the start of the season.
Sakho, 26, scored 15 league goals in 44 appearances for West Ham, although
he has suffered several injury problems.
His likely arrival had added to speculation that the club would sell striker
Saido Berahino, 23, who is a target for Crystal Palace and Stoke.
The Potters have offered £17m with £3m in add-ons for the England Under-21
international - a fee which is close to West Brom's valuation of the
striker.
However, with the Sakho deal now off, Berahino will be remaining at the
club.
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West Ham 3-0 NK Domzale (agg 4-2): Cheikhou Kouyate nets double
Last Updated: 04/08/16 10:59pm
SSN
West Ham won their first game at the London Stadium, beating NK Domzale 3-0
to progress to the next round of the Europa League. Holding a 2-1 advantage
from the first leg, the Slovenian outfit were in town to crash the
housewarming party at the Olympic Park but two early goals from Cheikhou
Kouyate erased any hopes of a huge shock. The Hammers, who played a strong
side, were never really troubled by the visitors and grabbed a third late on
through new signing Sofiane Feghouli.
Four years to the day since Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis-Hill and Greg Rutherford
wowed the nation on Super Saturday at London 2012, the Olympic Stadium - now
known as the London Stadium - finally welcomed its new tenants.
The Hammers will officially open the ground with a glamour friendly against
Juventus on Sunday, but required this dry-run after defeat in the final
match of last season condemned them to a seventh-placed finish and into the
third round of qualifying.
West Ham's new abode was a 54,000 sell-out.
It did not take long for the players to settle into their new surroundings,
with Kouyate grabbing his slice of history with the first goal after just
eight minutes.
A superb lofted pass from skipper Mark Noble sent Enner Valencia racing
through, although he had to check his run to evade sliding right-back Alvaro
Brachi.
Valencia cut the ball back to Sam Byram, who made a mess of his shot but the
ball bobbled as far as Kouyate for a simple back-heel from six yards out
Kouyate grabbed the second, and edged West Ham ahead in the tie, in the 25th
minute when Andy Carroll nodded down Michail Antonio's cross into his path
for a neat, low finish.
After the break, Feghouli headed narrowly wide before Valencia squandered a
gilt-edged chance with a horribly sliced effort.
Domzale knew one goal would force extra time but they could only muster up a
couple of forays into West Ham territory, with Benjamin Morel firing their
best chance wide.
Instead, with nine minutes remaining, Algerian winger Feghouli raced onto
Noble's pass and crashed in the killer third to prolong West Ham's European
adventure and, more importantly, ensure a winning start at their new home.
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West Ham and Slaven Bilic enjoyed opening night at London Stadium
Last Updated: 04/08/16 11:47pm
SSN
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic says the noise at the London Stadium was even
louder than he was expecting. The Hammers christened their new home,
formerly known as the Olympic Stadium, with a routine 3-0 win over Slovenian
side MK Domzale in the second leg of a Europa League tie on Thursday night.
Bilic's team comfortably bounced back after last week's shock 2-1 loss,
Cheikhou Kouyate scoring twice before new signing Sofiane Feghouli opened
his account in the second half. And West Ham's new abode was a 54,000
sell-out, despite not looking quite the finished product, with a
hastily-laid mixture of astroturf and tarpaulin covering the athletics
track. "The atmosphere?" said Bilic. "I didn't know what it would be like.
"This was the first time we could judge it and it was more than I expected.
It's loud. "It was brilliant to go out in front of a packed, loud stadium."
Regarding the performance, Bilic felt it was a case of job done, adding:
"It's a good feeling. We played well but we aren't going to go overboard.
"It was difficult psychologically for us but, for the stage we are at, we
played really good. We were fit, aggressive and played good football. "We
could have scored more goals, but it was a very mature performance. We
played badly in the first leg but a week later we are fresher and closer to
the season."
Domzale coach Luka Elsner said: "If you want to have any hope against such a
big team, then you have to play an excellent game. "Unfortunately we played
a bad game, so the result is logical. But I am proud of my boys."
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West Ham have struck Olympic gold after swapping an East End starter home
for their new London mansion
23:43, 4 AUG 2016
OPINION BY DARRENLEWIS
The Hammers settled into their new surroundings with a comfortable 3-0 win
over NK Domzale in the Europa League qualifiers on Thursday night
The Mirror
Four years ago it was the setting for that historic Super Saturday as our
athletes plundered a gold rush to lift the nation.
Last night it was West Ham's turn to strike gold in the venue formerly known
as the Olympic Stadium.
It is now the London Stadium and the Irons could not have kicked off their
slippers and eased their feet under the table of their new home any better.
After all the legal wrangling, the criticism, the controversy and the
apprehension – they let their football take centre stage. And what a stage
it is. You simply could not get any further removed than this from Upton
Park.
West Ham really have made the step up to the next level. They will stage
some special days and nights of football here. It will feel as though they
have gone from a starter home to a mansion.
They will feel as though they are playing at Wembley Stadium every week –
and when the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs come here the atmosphere
will be electric.
Cheikhou Kouyate's brace put the hosts one round away from the Europa League
group stages.
The Senegalese midfielder struck in the eighth and 25th minutes to cancel
out the shock advantage held by Slovenian minnows Domzale from the first
leg.
New Hammers signing Sofiane Feghouli added a cracking third to end the
visitors' hopes of a comeback and confirm his club's place in today's
play-off draw.
Kouyate netted the first-ever goal at the London Stadium early on when he
deftly flicked Sam Byram's cross beyond keeper Axel Maraval.
His second was even better, poking the ball home inside the box after Andy
Carroll had knocked Michail Antonio's cross down into this path.
For the third, Mark Noble, deep in his own half, sent a superb, cross-field
ball over the top. Feghouli controlled it on his chest before racing clear
and hitting it past Maraval. Job done.
Before the game there was an eerie mix of fascination and foreboding as fans
streamed in to be greeted by a vast expanse compared to the cramped,
claustrophobic arena that had been their previous home.
They'd taken their pictures in front of the many giant badges plastered
around outside. They'd sampled outside the magnificent job to make this
place ready for the coming season of Premier League and European football.
There was no wet cement, no wet paint, there were no construction
malfunctions.
A green tarpaulin did cover that running track around the pitch, however.
Compared to Upton Park the players would seem a world away.
The first shouts of 'Bubbles' only really piped up from the Sir Trevor
Brooking Stand a few minutes before the players emerged from the tunnel.
Those chants grew once the PA system blared it out shortly before kick-off.
It was at that point the camera-phones came out around the ground to capture
a moment that would be recorded for posterity.
In all honesty, it couldn't quite match the atmosphere at the 2012 Olympics
as the likes of Mo Farah, Jess Ennis and Greg Rutherford put smiles on the
nation's faces.
Boss Slaven Bilic had told his players before the match that it would be
down to them to create the culture of positivity that the club want to
retain at their new home.
So they did.
Applause rang out as West Ham made the pitch big and dominated the play,
leaving their Europa League opponents Domzale at times chasing shadows.
The official opening of this new ground takes place on Sunday when the
Hammers face Italian champions Juventus in the Betway Cup.
The scoreline in that match, however, won't matter. This test – a game they
had to win – has been a good enough livener.
Now they just can't wait for the Premier League party to get started.
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Slaven Bilic declares West Ham "are not afraid" of their new stadium after
winning start
23:20, 4 AUG 2016 UPDATED 23:20, 4 AUG 2016
BY DARREN LEWIS
The Hammers took one step closer to the Europa League group stages with a
convincing victory on opening night at the London Stadium
The Mirror
Slaven Bilic toasted his West Ham stars for showing no fear on their dream
London Stadium debut. Cheikou Kouyate hit a stylish double while new signing
Sofiane Feghouli added a cracking third to reach today's play-off draw for
the Europa League group stages. Bilic also praised the club's fans and said:
"I didn't know what the atmosphere would be like. This was the first time we
could judge it and it was more than I expected. It was loud. "You can't
compare it to Upton Park. "It's totally different but it's a good
atmosphere. I'm not afraid of the new stadium. "It was difficult
psychologically for us but for a stage like this we played really good, we
were fit, aggressive and played good football. "We could have scored more
goals, but it was a very mature performance. We played badly in the first
leg but a week later we are fresher and closer to the season."
It was a positive finish to the day for the club after Diafra Sakho after
the striker's £16million move to West Brom broke down hours earlier. Bilic
admitted for the first time that the move had collapsed because of a failed
medical. He said: "I am a bit sorry for him. And a bit surprised he didn't
pass the medical."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
FW: Daily WHUFC News - 4th August 2016
Preview - NK Domzale
WHUFC.com
West Ham look to overturn first leg deficit in London Stadium debut Matic Crnic double gave Slovenians a 2-1 first leg advantage
54,000 crowd expected for first game at Club's new home
When and where?
West Ham United v NK Domzale
UEFA Europa League Third Qualifying Round Second Leg Thursday 4 August 2016, 7.45pm BST London Stadium
What's the story?
West Ham United begin life at their new home at London Stadium on Thursday with the second leg of their UEFA Europa League third qualifying round tie against NK Domzale on Thursday.
The Hammers need to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the first leg to progress to the play-off round of the competition, from which 22 teams will qualify for the group phase.
Mark Noble's away goal was sandwiched by a double from Slovenia international winger Matic Crnic, and Adrian had to make an outstanding double save near the end to keep the scoreline at 2-1.
With another week's full training behind them, Slaven Bilic's men will be confident of giving an improved performance in front of a sell-out 54,000 crowd at their new Stadium.
Since last week's meeting at Stadion Stozice, Domzale have maintained their undefeated start to their domestic season, coming from two goals down to draw 2-2 with early league leaders Maribor.
They now have five points from three league games, and have defeated Lusitans of Andorra and Belarusian side Shakhtyor Soligorsk to reach this stage of the UEFA Europa League.
Team news
Angelo Ogbonna and James Collins are now back in training with the Hammers, but Thursday's game against Domzale comes around too quickly for the defensive duo to be involved.
Dimitri Payet will link up with the Hammers later this week, but Aaron Cresswell is out after suffering a knee injury in pre-season.
Hammers boss Slaven Bilic is working to bring in a left-back to cover for Cresswell's injury, but may have to use Sam Byram or Havard Nordtveit in that position on Thursday.
Any links between the two?
Last Thursday's game was the first meeting between the Hammers and Domzale, but the Slovenian side do possess a former teammate of West Ham keeper Adrian.
Domzale right back Alvaro Brachi learned his football at Real Betis, a year ahead of Adrian in the Seville-based side's academy and now plies his trade in Slovenia following spells in Greece and Hungary.
How do I get to the game?
The Hammers will play their first game at London Stadium on Thursday and you can click here for all the information you need on how to get to the Stadium.
Supporters attending Thursday's game should note that they should allow time for security checks when they enter the Stadium, and with turnstiles opening two hours before kick-off, you can soak up the atmosphere with special offers. Click here for full information.
The new, state-of-the-art Stadium Store will be open from 9am up until kick-off, and after the game too. Click here for Store details.
Where can I watch the game?
Thursday night's match will not be broadcast live in the UK, but you can follow the action on our digital channels with live audio commentary, in-game stats, Social Media updates and more. Head to whufc.com for the Live Match Centre, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.
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Slaven Speaks - NK Domzale
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic faced the media for the first time and talked about the excitement of playing the first ever game at the new Stadium, the adjustments his players will have to make, the latest team-news and provides an update on the Club's search for new players....
Ahead of the first competitive game at the new Stadium, how does it feel to be leading the Club into a new era?
SB: "It feels good. I want to start by saying that a couple of young players from Maribor yesterday had a car crash and died and the goalkeeper is injured, so my deepest condolences from them and I hope the goalkeeper will be okay.
"We have been talking about the new Stadium for a long time but now it is done and it is great that we have sold out Season Tickets. It is now up to us to play good and to keep the amount of people who are coming to watch hungry and motivated to watch us all the time."
Which players will be missing for the game and when will Dimitri Payet be back in action?
SB: "Dimitri is joining us later in the week and we will not have have James Collins or Angelo Ogbonna available for the game. It is too early for them and they have not had the right amount of training.
"We are without a few injured players like Cresswell, but we have a good team and have been training hard.
"We had a negative result in the first game and we know we will have to play better than what we did in the first leg.
"We have a job to do against a team who know how to play good football. Me and my staff knew that before the first game but I am confident we are going to play better than what we did in Slovenia and that we will beat them with the result that will see us qualify for the play-off stages."
You talked about Aaron Cresswell being injured. Does that mean you are stepping up your search to sign a new left back?
SB: "We were looking to strengthen our squad in that area, even before Aaron got injured as it was the only position that we didn't have options.
"Aaron is a very fit player and since he joined the Club a couple of seasons ago, he has only missed one game and Carl Jenkinson had to play on the left side.
"We were looking to bring someone in to have competition with Cressy. We like to have two good players in every position.
"We are not the only ones looking for a new left back and it is hard to find a good player who we like. With Cressy get inured it has now become a priority and we have a few options there.
"Players like Sam Byram, Angelo Ogbonna and Havard Nordtveit can play there but it is not their natural position. We are close to getting one of the new players."
What is the latest situation with Manuel Lanzini?
SB: "Lanzini is another blow for us. He was with us for the first part of the pre-season tour in America and then joined up with the Argentina team for the Olympics and got injured in a friendly game against Columbia.
"He got a kick on his knee. It was not a big injury but he cannot play for four or five weeks. I think he will miss the first three Premier League games which is not ideal so he will hopefully be back after the Manchester City game."
How disappointing was the first game against NK Domzale last week?
SB: "It was very disappointing. They are a team who have already played two games in the league and have played four qualification games.
"When you face a team who are good enough and show a lot of hunger, these things happen.
"We have a job to do and if we play better than what we did in the first leg we have a great chance of getting through. But if we play like the first leg than our chances will drop.
"We can find excuses and were missing players, but we should have played much better. We are back home and it is a big game for us on Thursday night. We want to qualify for the next round."
With everything feeling different how will it feel to perform in the new Stadium for the first time?
SB: "It will not feel like last year, but when we go out in front of 54,000 fans I am sure we will feel at home.
"We have to adjust to the new Stadium and there is no better way to adjust than to win a game. The wins reduced the time necessary to adjust and hopefully we will start on Thursday.
"The players are looking forward to it."
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Hammers team up with Heineken
WHUFC.com
West Ham United are delighted to announce a five-year partnership with HEINEKEN, the UK's leading cider, beer and pub company.
The long-term deal will see HEINEKEN become the Club's official beer and cider partner at the iconic London Stadium on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park until 2021.
In addition to Heineken®, supporters can enjoy some of the UK's most loved beers and ciders including Amstel, Foster's, Birra Moretti, Bulmers and Strongbow.
Draft and bottles will be available throughout the Hammers' magnificent new home, whether on the concourses or in Club London's exquisite hospitality spaces.
West Ham United Vice-Chairman Karren Brady said: "Today's announcement represents another high-profile partnership for West Ham United with a truly global, best-in-class brand.
"You need only look at HEINEKEN's partnership portfolio to understand the scale of the business and with over 150 years' history behind them, they, like us, have a rich heritage too.
"HEINEKEN boasts a proven track record of enhancing the supporter experience at stadia and events around the world and we look forward to working with them at our spectacular new Stadium."
Chris Jowsey, HEINEKEN's on-trade sales director said: "We are no strangers to world-class events and providing exceptional experiences for sports fans. We've got history with this site from London 2012, and we're delighted to be back, this time, firmly supporting West Ham."
HEINEKEN has partnerships across a range of relevant sectors, including a longstanding sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League, the Rugby World Cup and Team GB.
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016/17 squad numbers confirmed
West Ham United have confirmed their squad numbers for the 2016/17 season.
1 Randolph
2 Reid
3 Cresswell
4 Nordtveit
7 Feghouli
8 Kouyate
9 Carroll
10 Lanzini
11 Valencia
13 Adrian
14 Obiang
15 Sakho
16 Noble
17 Tore
19 Collins
21 Ogbonna
22 Byram
23 Poyet
24 Fletcher
25 Henry
27 Payet
29 Martinez
30 Antonio
32 Burke
34 Spiegel
35 Oxford
36 Quina
37 Page
39 Cullen
40 Parfitt-Williams
41 Rice
42 Samuelsen
43 Browne
46 Makasi
Manuel Lanzini, who made his move from Al-Jazira Club permanent this summer, is the headline change, taking the No10 shirt after wearing No28 during his first season in Claret and Blue.
New signing Havard Nordtveit is the Hammers' new No4, while Algeria international Sofiane Feghouli has chosen No7.
Their fellow new boy, Turkey international Gokhan Tore will wear No17, while youngsters Ashley Fletcher, Antonio Martinez and Domingos Quina are 24, 29 and 36 respectively.
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Arrive early for first home game
WHUFC.com
Many West Ham United supporters will be attending their first fixture at the Club's historic new home on Thursday night.
The Club's move to London Stadium on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will mark the start of a new matchday routine for each and every fan.
In line with other top sporting and entertainment venues of comparable size and prominence, the Hammers will be doing everything they can to ensure everybody's visit to our iconic home goes as smoothly as possible.
The first and most-important piece of advice is to arrive as early as possible to take in and enjoy your new surroundings, including the concourses, Club London hospitality areas and the giant Stadium Store.
Your brand new concourses are a celebration of all things West Ham and, with twice as many food and drink stands than at the Boleyn Ground and Europe's largest Stadium screens bringing you all the pre-match entertainment, there is every reason to arrive early.
To ensure a safe and secure environment for supporters, friendly stewards will guide you to and from London Stadium and through our new ticket and security checks. There will also be a team of matchday volunteers on hand to offer any further assistance required.
To make the most of your maiden visit, please arrive in good time for the 7.45pm kick-off and join West Ham United at the start of our exciting journey at our world-class home.
Hammers supporters should take note of the following important information to ensure the first visit to our iconic home goes as smoothly as possible.
Pre-match information
Fans are strongly encouraged to travel to London Stadium via public transport, as it is the most-connected football stadium in the country, with nine direct rail links stopping at nearby Stratford and Stratford International stations.
Additionally, more than a dozen London Bus routes call at either Stratford or Stratford City Bus Stations. For more information about public transport, visit tfl.gov.uk
Fans are advised that there is NO spectator parking at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, except for pre-booked Blue Badge spaces (see below).
With 49 accessible parking spaces out of a total of 229 at the Stadium (21.4%), the London Stadium is far in excess of the recommended six per cent target for recreational venues and events. By comparison, the Boleyn Ground had provision for just 20 disabled spaces.
The Club is to operate four free shuttle buses to ferry supporters with accessibility needs between Stratford station and London Stadium pre and post-match. The buses will run from two hours prior to kick-off, to coincide with the turnstiles opening and supporters will be collected from platform 13, near the Jubilee Line
On arrival at Stratford station, fans are advised to take the most direct walking route to London Stadium, which is along Montfichet Road, which is accessible by exiting the station via the Westfield Stratford City exit, then immediately turning right onto Montfichet Road. It will take around 15 minutes to reach London Stadium from Stratford station.
Supporters will also be able to access Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park via Westfield Stratford City up to ONE hour before kick-off (6.45pm), after which staff and signage will direct supporters along Montfichet Road.
Turnstiles will open TWO hours before kick-off, so please arrive as early as possible to visit the Stadium Store and take advantage of the fantastic concessions available within the Stadium concourse.
As is the norm at all major sporting and entertainment venues in this country, London Stadium stewards will be on hand to ensure you are safe and secure during your stay. For your safety and security, ALL fans will be subject to a bag-check on entry to London Stadium. Stewards will also carry out random body searches.
Supporters are kindly asked to be patient while these necessary checks are carried out.
On Thursday evening, a new turnstile and ticketing system in operation for the first time, so queues to enter London Stadium may be slightly longer than normal while fans get used to their new surroundings. The Club would ask supporters to be patient while queuing to enter the Hammers' new home.
While every seat inside London Stadium is covered, the summer has produced the usual unpredictable weather, so fans are strongly advised to bring appropriate clothing and footwear to protect against potential inclement weather.
Post-match information
Stewards and signage will again guide you on the shortest and most direct route to your chosen station or public transport hub.
Supporters walking to Stratford station are advised that Montfichet Road is the most direct route.
If you are in possession of a parking chip or hotel reservation, you also will be granted access to Westfield Stratford City via Chestnut Place (The Cow) and between John Lewis/Jamie's Italian.
As is the norm after every major sporting or entertainment event, public transport services will be busy, so fans are advised to allow enough time to travel home safely. Build in up to 30 minutes to walk to Stratford or Stratford International stations, and further time to board services which are expected to be busy.
Public transport services through Stratford will be busy, so fans are advised to allow enough time to travel home safely. Build in up to 30 minutes to walk to Stratford or Stratford International stations.
Services into central London run from Stratford International and Stratford stations.
If you are travelling home via Euston, King's Cross, St. Pancras International or into Kent, fans are advised to use Stratford International station.
If you are attending an evening event, and are travelling to a destination where you need to connect with other Tube and rail services, supporters should to check when your last service leaves before travelling.
On a move of this scale there will always be things that we need to work on together to get right. So we are asking you to be our eyes and ears. We want you to tell us what is working well and where there's room for improvement.
Please send us your comments and suggestions to foundersfeedback@westhamunited.co.uk so that together, we can provide the very best matchday experience possible.
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THU, 04 AUG 2016EUROPA LEAGUE - QUALIFYING THIRD ROUND - 2ND LEG
19:45
Venue: London Stadium
West Ham United v NK Domzale
BBC.co.uk
How to follow:
Listen on BBC Radio London, live text commentary and report on the BBC Sport website.
West Ham's first game at the Olympic Stadium may feel like an away match to their players, says boss Slaven Bilic. The Hammers begin a new era in their new home when they host Slovenia's NK Domzale in the second leg of a Europa League third qualifying round tie. Around 54,000 will see West Ham bid to overturn a 2-1 deficit but Bilic said: "It doesn't feel like a home game."
The Hammers left Upton Park at the end of last season to move to the stadium which hosted athletics at London 2012. "We will do the same things - go for a meal, get on the coach, but instead of Upton Park, we'll be coming here in front of 54,000," added Bilic. "There's no better way to adjust to a new stadium than playing in it."
West Ham need to win their first game at the Olympic Stadium, officially known as the London Stadium, to advance to the play-off round. "We have a job to do and if we play better than what we did in the first leg we have a great chance of getting through," added Bilic. "We can find excuses and were missing players, but we should have played much better. "We are back home and it is a big game for us on Thursday night. We want to qualify for the next round."
France midfielder Dimitri Payet, Wales defender James Collins and Italy defender Angelo Ogbonna are not yet available for West Ham after their involvement at Euro 2016.
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West Ham's Europa League rivals NK Domzale seek movie inspiration By Matt Davis BBC Sport
Slovenian minnows NK Domzale will be be out to ruin West Ham's first game at the Olympic stadium on Thursday when they meet in the second leg of their Europa League qualifying third-round tie.
Luka Elsner's side "made history" in the first leg with a shock 2-1 win against the Hammers, the biggest result in the club's 95-year existence.
It was a remarkable achievement given the disparity between the two sides.
This is a club that cannot afford to pay transfer fees, that is forced to sell its best players every couple of years, with a team ethic inspired by the Hollywood film 300 and a young manager in the mould of Diego Simeone.
Before Thursday's match, Elsner tells BBC Sport about his coaching philosophy, the club's novel approach to transfers and his Domzale "army".
Diddy Domzale
West Ham were without France international Dimitri Payet but still fielded a strong side in Slovenia, including record £15m signing Andy Carroll.
The likes of Payet and Carroll earn thousands each week, contrasting sharply with the financial pulling power of Domzale.
"A week's salary of any of the West Ham players would be enough to cover the club's expenses for a whole month," said 34-year-old Elsner. "It is a big difference. It would probably cost 60,000 or 70,000 euros [£50,500-£58,900] to run the club for a month."
It is not just in salaries that Domzale are dwarfed by their Premier League rivals.
West Ham's new stadium has a 60,000 capacity, which could hold the 12,588 residents of Domzale almost five times over. By contrast, Domzale play their home games at Sports Park, a stadium that can handle 2,813.
It is so small that the first leg was moved to the Stozice Stadium in Ljubljana. Barely 3,000 attended the first leg, but a sell-out is expected on Thursday.
Revolving doors
Domzale cannot afford to pay transfer fees. The aim is to develop players and sell them on at a profit.
"We never keep one team for two or three years together because we need to sell to survive," Elsner said. "We are constantly changing our first 11."
The club survives on a network of scouts and coaches trying to unearth talent at home and abroad.
"Slovenia is a small market. We play four times against each team, each season, so we know exactly what players are available," Elsner added.
"In terms of scouting, it's tough. We can't pay transfer fees, so we have to look for something that maybe other teams don't see.
"This is the philosophy of the club. We will never have the finances to allow us to spend big but hopefully we have new ideas and really take care of players."
Signing a player via LinkedIn
Elsner says his club do not want "mercenaries" but are looking for a player with a certain type of character.
"We like to take players that maybe have talent but who haven't managed to take that last step to become a really good player," he said. "We give them the possibility to do that and work with them in the hope they develop enough.
"Before we look at their football characteristics, we are looking for good men, with a good personality, who are willing to work. If we have to push someone and be behind them 24 hours a day, then they are not for us.
"In the last three seasons we have sold almost 12 players to other clubs. That is a good story for everyone coming to us."
Domzale found a novel way to sign a player in February, using the online networking service LinkedIn.
After Elsner posted a message asking for an "offensive right-back" who "must have an EU passport", the top-flight club received 150 applications and signed Spanish defender Alvaro Brachi, 30, just before transfer deadline day.
Elsner said: "We have a low budget, we can only afford players with no transfer fees and can only give a salary. That takes a lot of work and imagination. We once used LinkedIn as a possibility and it worked, Alvaro is playing well for us."
This is Sparta!
Domzale players are shown films to motivate them and inspire a team ethic.
One of those is Hollywood movie 300, starring Gerard Butler. It is the story of King Leonidas leading 300 Spartans to victory over the Persian "god-King" Xerxes and his 300,000 soldiers.
"We are an army, we need to stick together to even have a chance of competing," Elsner said. "West Ham have so much quality that if we did not work as a group then we would not have had a chance.
"Like 300, we are small and outnumbered, but we do everything we can to hold our position. We use a lot of motivational stuff through the season. The mental side is huge. We want to be ready to fight on the field."
Simeone Mark II?
Elsner had a successful playing career, winning two Slovenian league titles with Domzale and making one appearance for the national side. He is also Domzale's record appearance holder.
His grandfather is former Austria manager Branko Elsner, while his father, Marko Elsner, won Olympic football bronze with Yugoslavia in 1984.
Elsner retired in 2012 to pursue a coaching career. He is among the youngest in Europe and looks to others for inspiration. Among them is Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone, whom Elsner admires for his ability to create a team ethic.
"I stopped my playing career because I had a passion to be a coach," Elsner said. "I wanted to do it early, get experience. Many questioned my decision, because I could have played on for three or four years."
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3/8/16 LUNCHTIME NEWS ROUND-UP
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 3 AUGUST 2016 AT 11:56AM TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Antonio wants move back to more attacking role –
According to an interview with FourFourTwo, Michail Antonio has stated that he wants to be restored to a more attacking role again this season and become one of the best wingers in the Premier League. This is music to my ears and I'm sure it is to the majority of the Hammers fanbase. Michail goes on to highlight his best moments of last season and how the fans urge him to take on players at every given opportunity.
Hammers in Santon talks? –
According to various sources including Gianluca Di Marzio, Sky Sports and ESPN, the Hammers have turned to current Inter Milan and former Newcastle United fullback, Davide Santon as an option in their ongoing search for a leftback. They claim that Bilic is interested in bringing Santon back to the Premier League on an initial loan deal with an option to buy at the end of the season. Both Sunderland and Napoli were interested in the player earlier in this window but neither move materialised with rumours coming out of Italy that he failed a medical with Napoli. West Ham have been linked with the Italian international before and as our very own ExWHUEmployee stated he could be an option that the club would consider again due to his versatility in being able to play both rightback and leftback. Di Marzio claims that the deal would cost the Hammers €550,000 for the loan fee with a €5.9m option to buy. ESPN have gone as far as stating that Santon has actually flown over for talks with the club and to undergo a medical if these are successful.
Bid increased for Olsson, agent not happy –
According to reports the Hammers have submitted a new £4m bid for the Norwich City leftback after their initial £3m offer was turned down by the Canaries. On top of that the Swede's agent has gone public with his disgust at the Championship club for not letting his client talk to clubs that have made offers for him.
Sakho close to joining the Baggies –
It was reported last night that Diafra Sakho had agreed personal terms with West Brom after they had agreed a fee with the Hammers for disgruntled Senegalese striker. All that remains now is for the former Metz man to pass a medical with the Baggies and for West Ham to then rubberstamp the move. Something they might not actually do until they get a striker in themselves.
A new Bacca deadline? –
It seems that with every day that passes by, Carlos Bacca's options for next season dwindle away one by one. It's no secret that the player wants to move to a Champions League club this Summer but thus far only West Ham have agreed a deal with AC Milan for his services next year. Clubs with reported interested have looked and bought elsewhere such as Atletico Madrid with Gameiro, Sevilla with Ben Yedder/Vietto and now PSG with Jese Rodriguez, although in all likelyhood PSG would never have attempted to sign Bacca in the first place given they already have their maximum 4 non-EU players at the club in Thiago Silva, Luiz, Moura and Maxwell. Now reports from Italy indicate that AC Milan are losing their patience with the whole matter. Various sources have indicated that they have given the Colombian until the end of this week to make a decision, another source has stated that Bacca himself will not agree to move until he knows if West Ham are still in the Europa League after Thursday. This seems well wide of the mark because the Hammers will also have a qualifying tie to past if they win against the Slovenians on Thursday night.
Hammers not interested in Gomez? –
Reports coming out of Besiktas last night indicated that Bilic had spoken to one of their club representatives and confirmed that the Hammers were not interested in the German striker. This is actually quite a complicated deal that most of the press haven't discussed when linking Mario with teams. The Turkish club have an option on Gomez after his loan period in Turkey last year which I believe they have taken up although the player does not want to move there, thus they are due compensation if he moves to another club this window even though Fiorentina own him. According to the Turkish report Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund remain interested in the players whilst the Mirror amongst other English sources claim that West Ham are still very much in the mix for his services but only if our first choice Bacca, officially rejects our offer and we move on.
Calleri confirms Hammers deal –
Jonathan Calleri confirmed to the South American press that he will be joining West Ham this Summer after rejecting offers to join other European Giants. Other sources here claim that the deal is finalised subject to a work permit which cannot be completed until after Argentina are eliminated from the Olympics which could be over 2 weeks from now depending on how far they progress.
Ayew deal – the hold up? –
It's no secret that the club have submitted a sizeable bid for the Ghanaian international who was born in France which most expect the Welsh side to accept. The problem is that Swansea basically have no strikers at present bar Ayew and Emnes and they themselves are frantically searching the market to bring in reinforcements for the position including Sevilla's Llorente and Leicester City's Ulloa. Much like Sakho's imminent departure to West Brom, it may well be that Swansea aren't prepared to let Ayew leave until they bring in a player themselves thus the domino affect once again. Various sources have claimed that the deal has already been agreed with the club and player and this is what's holding up Ayew officially joining.
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EDER ON HAMMERS RADAR?
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 3 AUGUST 2016 AT 12:24PM TheWestHamWay.co.uk
According to Corriere dello Sport, West Ham United will offer Inter Milan €15m to let striker Eder make a move to the Olympic Stadium.
The 29-year-old was one of Italy's key men at Euro 2016 and had been linked with a move to the Chinese Super League earlier this summer, soon after his Italy teammate Graziano Pelle completed a switch.
It is no secret that the Hammers see AC Milan striker Carlos Bacca as their number one target, however negotiations consistently stall, thus West Ham may look elsewhere to find a secure new signing for the summer.
Eder is currently six months into a two-year long loan deal at Inter from fellow Serie A side Sampdoria, but has scored just one goal in 15 games overall for them.
Whilst at Sampdoria, Eder was linked to the Hammers and his goalscoring record of 13 goals last season prior to his January move to Inter would be far more appealing than his form in the second half of the season.
If Eder does become available it wouldn't surprise me if his former National Manager, Antonio Conte showed some interest as they are still looking for striking options at Stamford Bridge although Lukaku seems to be their main target at this point.
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EXWHUEMPLOYEE: SANTON ON HIS WAY
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 3 AUGUST 2016 AT 4:43PM TheWestHamWay.co.uk
It appears that Italian international Davide Santon is flying in from Inter Milan to sign a season long loan for the club.
As I "predicted" on our radio show last week, he would be a top target. The main reason is that he is versatile and can play both at left back (where he will cover Cresswell) and at right back where he will give us an alternative to Antonio and Byram.
The player previously played for Newcastle United and this Premier League experience was also a desirable trait that he had. Santon has a child from an English woman and was keen to move back to the country to spend more time with his daughter.
The move was prompted after both Norwich for Olsson and Brady and Hull with Robertson kept increasing their demands to amounts that we did not think represented value for money.
The plan is to have Santon in place so he can feature in the Juventus friendly and be in line for his debut against Chelsea and so a medical has been booked for today. This transfer and many others will be discussed on our radio show live at 7pm today on Phoenix 98Fm (you can listen through the internet). We will post the links to the show afterwards as well.
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Santon flies in for talks
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 3rd August 2016
By: Staff Writer
Milan defender Davide Santon is on his way to England for a medical ahead of a loan move to West Ham, say reports. ESPN report this morning that the left-sided full back has flown to the UK ahead of talks and a medical, should all progress smoothly. The 25-year-old is expected to join West Ham on a season-long loan with view to a permanent move, should both parties agree. Santon, who joined Inter on a free transfer a year ago is no stranger to the Premier League, having previously featured for Newcastle United. He spent four years on Tyneside with the Magpies before moving to Inter - initially on loan, in February 2015 before sealing a permanent move to Serie A. The Italian defender - once cited as one of the world's most highly-rated teenagers - will prvide back up for the injured Aaron Cresswell, who is out of action until November.
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Sakho set for Albion switch
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 3rd August 2016
By: Staff Writer
Diafra Sakho is on the verge of completing a move to West Bromwich Albion. The out-of-favour striker is poised to complete a £16million move to the Hawthorns before the day is out, having agreed terms with the Midlands-based club. Sakho, 26, is currently undergoing a medical with Albion, according to the Mail, and should that prove successful could be named as a West Brom player by the end of the day. The Senegal international - who cost West Ham £4.5million when signing from Metz in the summer of 2014 - made just 50 appearances for West Ham during his two seasons at the club scoring a total of 19 goals. Albion are set to pay £10million up front, with the remaining £6million dependent on a series of clauses being triggered.
* This story was updated at 4.40pm.
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Bilic confirms Lanzini lay-off
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 3rd August 2016
By: Staff Writer
Slaven Bilic has confirmed that he expects attacking midfielder Manuel Lanzini to be sidelined for around a month after he picked up a knock in an international friendly. The 23-year-old Argentine sustained the knee injury during a pre-Olympics friendly against Colombia and, according to Bilic, is likely to be out of action until the beginning of September. "He joined the Olympic national team, but in a friendly game against Colombia he got a kick on his knee and got injured," confirmed Bilic during his press conference this morning. "It's not only a kick on his knee, to be fair. It's not a big, big injury, but he can't play for the next four or five weeks. I think he's going to miss the first three games of the season, which is not ideal but not that bad. "So, we think he'll be back after the international break following the Manchester City game."
Lanzini - who excelled during his first season at the club in 2015/16 - is expected to miss tomorrow's Europa League second leg against NK Domzale plus the forthcoming Premier League fixtures with Chelsea, Bournemouth and (the aforementioned) Manchester City, on 28 August.
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Bilic confirms Calleri deal
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 3rd August 2016
By: Staff Writer
Slaven Bilic has admitted that signing a new left back is a priority - whilst confirming that Jonathan Calleri is close to joining the club. Bilic, speaking to the media ahead of tomorrow evening's Europa League clash with NK Domzale - a game West Ham must win to stay in the competition - revealed that he is hoping to secure the services of a replacement for the injured Aaron Cresswell imminently. "Even before Cress got injured we were looking to strengthen there," he insisted. "But it's hard to find a good one, who we like and who is willing to come to us. "Many clubs are looking for a left-back, now with Cress' injury that has become a priority. There a few players on our list and hopefully we are going to get one. We are not going to discuss it openly but we are looking in that position."
And Bilic - who trained at the Olympic Stadium with his squad for the first time this morning - also revealed that he is close to completing a deal for the 22-year-old Argentine striker. "It's close, he's a good player," he said. "But the same goes with the players we want to sign for left-back, we are in talks but we are not discussing the transfer. We are trying to do them and then we'll talk. Like any other manager, chairman or director, we would like to do the business as quick as possible. But very rarely can you get it done quickly. "It's a situation that we are all in. We have signed some really good players, we were very quick and active in the beginning or at the end of last season. "Now with these couple of positions, it is not only us, it's the whole of Europe, who can afford of course, that are trying to get those type of players."
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Hammers prepare to smash attendance record KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 3rd August 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's record attendance is set to be smashed tomorrow night when the Hammers host NK Domzale in the Europa League.
KUMB revealed last year how the club's official attendance record of 42,322 - recorded for a Division One clash with Tottenham in 1970 - is almost certainly inaccurate.
That's because some 43 years prior to that occasion, a crowd figure of 44,417 was recorded for another home clash with Tottenham.
However West Ham decided to make the 1970 figure their records attendance as, according to Hammers historian John Northcutt, "the loss of records during the war leaves earlier attendances unconfirmed".
Either way, the existing record is about to be blitzed when around 54,000 supporters visit the Olympic Stadium tomorrow night for United's first ever fixture at their new home.
And that record will be broken itself within a matter of weeks, when Bournemouth become the first team to feature in a Premier League clash at the OS - for which the stadium capacity is being raised to 60,000.
Slaven Bilic revealed today that he is looking forward to the Olympic Stadium opening match - although insisted that his team need to hit the ground running, having lost 2-1 in the first leg last week.
"We have been talking about the new stadium for a long time," he said. "Now it is done, it is up to us to play good and to keep the people who are coming hungry and motivated to watch us all the time.
"We had a negative result in the first leg and we know we will have to play better than we did.
"We have to adjust to the new stadium and there is no better way than to win a game. The wins reduce the time necessary to adjust and hopefully we will start on Thursday.
"We have a job to do but I am confident we are going to play better than we did in Slovenia and that we will beat them with the result that will see us qualify for the play-off stages."
Top Five Attendances at the Boleyn Ground
1. 44,417: 8 Jan 1927 v Tottenham (FA Cup 3rd Round) 2. 42,716: 21 Jan 1938 v Tottenham (FA Cup 4th Round) 3. 42,322: 17 Oct 1970 v Tottenham (Division One) 4. 42,300: 16 Jan 1937 v Bolton Wanderers (Division Two) 5. 42,271: 14 Feb 1972 v Hereford Utd (FA Cup 4th Round replay)
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West Ham in talks with Inter Milan over loan deal for Davide Santon - Sky sources By Sky Sports News HQ Last Updated: 03/08/16 1:23pm SSN
West Ham are in talks with Inter Milan over a deal to sign former Newcastle defender Davide Santon on loan, according to Sky sources. The Hammers have offered a loan fee of £460,000 for the Italian left-back, according to Sky sources, with the option to make the deal permanent next summer for £5m. West Ham are seeking cover for first-choice left-back Aaron Cresswell, who was ruled out for up to four months in July after suffering a knee ligament injury. Sky sources also understand West Ham have had bids for Norwich's Martin Olsson and Hull's Andrew Robertson turned down. Santon, who started his career at Inter, joined Newcastle in 2011 and went on to make 94 appearances for the club during his three-and-a-half years at St James' Park. The 25-year-old, capped eight times by Italy, returned to Inter on loan in January 2015 before making the move permanent six months later. He made only 13 appearances for Inter last season, all but one of those coming in the Serie A, and is contracted to Inter until 2018.
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West Ham midfielder Manuel Lanzini out for five weeks By Nick Lustig Last Updated: 03/08/16 2:56pm SSN
Slaven Bilic has revealed West Ham midfielder Manuel Lanzini will miss up to five weeks of the new season with a knee injury. The 23-year-old sustained the injury while on international duty with Argentina ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and has since returned to London for treatment. Lanzini will miss the opening three matches of the 2016/17 Premier League campaign, but Bilic expects to have him back at his disposal for the home game against Watford on September 10.
Ahead of West Ham's first match at the Olympic Stadium against NK Domzale in the Europa League on Thursday, Bilic said: "Unfortunately that's another blow for us. He was not supposed to play tomorrow anyway. He was with us in the United States during our first part of the pre-season, he stayed there and we flew back to London. He joined the Olympic national team, but in a friendly game against Colombia he got a kick on his knee and got injured. It's not only a kick on his knee to be fair. It's not a big, big injury, but he can't play for the next four or five weeks. "I think he's going to miss the first three games of the season, which is not ideal but not that bad. So, we think he'll be back after the international break following the Manchester City game."
West Ham are also seeking cover for first-choice left-back Aaron Cresswell, who was ruled out for up to four months after suffering a knee injury in the 3-0 pre-season victory over German side Karlsruher in July. Sky sources understand the Hammers are in talks with Inter Milan over a deal to sign left-back Davide Santon on loan and have also had bids rejected for Norwich's Martin Olsson and Hull's Andrew Robertson. "Even before Cress got injured we were looking to strengthen there but it's hard to find a good one, who we like and is willing to come to us," the West Ham manager said. "Most clubs are looking for a left-back, now with Cress' injury that has become a priority. "There a few players on our list and hopefully we are going to get one, but before we sign one or if we sign one, we are not going to discuss it openly. But we are looking in that position."
Sky sources also understand West Ham have bid £20m for Swansea forward Andre Ayew, while Argentine striker Jonathan Calleri is set to join the club on a season-long loan from Boca Juniors. When asked about the deal to sign Calleri, Bilic said: "It's close and he's a good player. Like I said, the same goes with the players we want to sign for left-back, we are in talks but we are not discussing the transfer. We are trying to do them and then we'll talk. "Like any other manager, chairman or director, we would like to do the business as quick as possible. But very rarely can you get it done quickly. "It's a situation that we are all in. We have signed some really good players, we were very quick and active in the beginning or at the end of last season. "Now with these couple of positions, it is not only us, it's the whole of Europe, who can afford of course, that are trying to get those type of players."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
West Ham look to overturn first leg deficit in London Stadium debut Matic Crnic double gave Slovenians a 2-1 first leg advantage
54,000 crowd expected for first game at Club's new home
When and where?
West Ham United v NK Domzale
UEFA Europa League Third Qualifying Round Second Leg Thursday 4 August 2016, 7.45pm BST London Stadium
What's the story?
West Ham United begin life at their new home at London Stadium on Thursday with the second leg of their UEFA Europa League third qualifying round tie against NK Domzale on Thursday.
The Hammers need to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the first leg to progress to the play-off round of the competition, from which 22 teams will qualify for the group phase.
Mark Noble's away goal was sandwiched by a double from Slovenia international winger Matic Crnic, and Adrian had to make an outstanding double save near the end to keep the scoreline at 2-1.
With another week's full training behind them, Slaven Bilic's men will be confident of giving an improved performance in front of a sell-out 54,000 crowd at their new Stadium.
Since last week's meeting at Stadion Stozice, Domzale have maintained their undefeated start to their domestic season, coming from two goals down to draw 2-2 with early league leaders Maribor.
They now have five points from three league games, and have defeated Lusitans of Andorra and Belarusian side Shakhtyor Soligorsk to reach this stage of the UEFA Europa League.
Team news
Angelo Ogbonna and James Collins are now back in training with the Hammers, but Thursday's game against Domzale comes around too quickly for the defensive duo to be involved.
Dimitri Payet will link up with the Hammers later this week, but Aaron Cresswell is out after suffering a knee injury in pre-season.
Hammers boss Slaven Bilic is working to bring in a left-back to cover for Cresswell's injury, but may have to use Sam Byram or Havard Nordtveit in that position on Thursday.
Any links between the two?
Last Thursday's game was the first meeting between the Hammers and Domzale, but the Slovenian side do possess a former teammate of West Ham keeper Adrian.
Domzale right back Alvaro Brachi learned his football at Real Betis, a year ahead of Adrian in the Seville-based side's academy and now plies his trade in Slovenia following spells in Greece and Hungary.
How do I get to the game?
The Hammers will play their first game at London Stadium on Thursday and you can click here for all the information you need on how to get to the Stadium.
Supporters attending Thursday's game should note that they should allow time for security checks when they enter the Stadium, and with turnstiles opening two hours before kick-off, you can soak up the atmosphere with special offers. Click here for full information.
The new, state-of-the-art Stadium Store will be open from 9am up until kick-off, and after the game too. Click here for Store details.
Where can I watch the game?
Thursday night's match will not be broadcast live in the UK, but you can follow the action on our digital channels with live audio commentary, in-game stats, Social Media updates and more. Head to whufc.com for the Live Match Centre, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.
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Slaven Speaks - NK Domzale
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic faced the media for the first time and talked about the excitement of playing the first ever game at the new Stadium, the adjustments his players will have to make, the latest team-news and provides an update on the Club's search for new players....
Ahead of the first competitive game at the new Stadium, how does it feel to be leading the Club into a new era?
SB: "It feels good. I want to start by saying that a couple of young players from Maribor yesterday had a car crash and died and the goalkeeper is injured, so my deepest condolences from them and I hope the goalkeeper will be okay.
"We have been talking about the new Stadium for a long time but now it is done and it is great that we have sold out Season Tickets. It is now up to us to play good and to keep the amount of people who are coming to watch hungry and motivated to watch us all the time."
Which players will be missing for the game and when will Dimitri Payet be back in action?
SB: "Dimitri is joining us later in the week and we will not have have James Collins or Angelo Ogbonna available for the game. It is too early for them and they have not had the right amount of training.
"We are without a few injured players like Cresswell, but we have a good team and have been training hard.
"We had a negative result in the first game and we know we will have to play better than what we did in the first leg.
"We have a job to do against a team who know how to play good football. Me and my staff knew that before the first game but I am confident we are going to play better than what we did in Slovenia and that we will beat them with the result that will see us qualify for the play-off stages."
You talked about Aaron Cresswell being injured. Does that mean you are stepping up your search to sign a new left back?
SB: "We were looking to strengthen our squad in that area, even before Aaron got injured as it was the only position that we didn't have options.
"Aaron is a very fit player and since he joined the Club a couple of seasons ago, he has only missed one game and Carl Jenkinson had to play on the left side.
"We were looking to bring someone in to have competition with Cressy. We like to have two good players in every position.
"We are not the only ones looking for a new left back and it is hard to find a good player who we like. With Cressy get inured it has now become a priority and we have a few options there.
"Players like Sam Byram, Angelo Ogbonna and Havard Nordtveit can play there but it is not their natural position. We are close to getting one of the new players."
What is the latest situation with Manuel Lanzini?
SB: "Lanzini is another blow for us. He was with us for the first part of the pre-season tour in America and then joined up with the Argentina team for the Olympics and got injured in a friendly game against Columbia.
"He got a kick on his knee. It was not a big injury but he cannot play for four or five weeks. I think he will miss the first three Premier League games which is not ideal so he will hopefully be back after the Manchester City game."
How disappointing was the first game against NK Domzale last week?
SB: "It was very disappointing. They are a team who have already played two games in the league and have played four qualification games.
"When you face a team who are good enough and show a lot of hunger, these things happen.
"We have a job to do and if we play better than what we did in the first leg we have a great chance of getting through. But if we play like the first leg than our chances will drop.
"We can find excuses and were missing players, but we should have played much better. We are back home and it is a big game for us on Thursday night. We want to qualify for the next round."
With everything feeling different how will it feel to perform in the new Stadium for the first time?
SB: "It will not feel like last year, but when we go out in front of 54,000 fans I am sure we will feel at home.
"We have to adjust to the new Stadium and there is no better way to adjust than to win a game. The wins reduced the time necessary to adjust and hopefully we will start on Thursday.
"The players are looking forward to it."
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Hammers team up with Heineken
WHUFC.com
West Ham United are delighted to announce a five-year partnership with HEINEKEN, the UK's leading cider, beer and pub company.
The long-term deal will see HEINEKEN become the Club's official beer and cider partner at the iconic London Stadium on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park until 2021.
In addition to Heineken®, supporters can enjoy some of the UK's most loved beers and ciders including Amstel, Foster's, Birra Moretti, Bulmers and Strongbow.
Draft and bottles will be available throughout the Hammers' magnificent new home, whether on the concourses or in Club London's exquisite hospitality spaces.
West Ham United Vice-Chairman Karren Brady said: "Today's announcement represents another high-profile partnership for West Ham United with a truly global, best-in-class brand.
"You need only look at HEINEKEN's partnership portfolio to understand the scale of the business and with over 150 years' history behind them, they, like us, have a rich heritage too.
"HEINEKEN boasts a proven track record of enhancing the supporter experience at stadia and events around the world and we look forward to working with them at our spectacular new Stadium."
Chris Jowsey, HEINEKEN's on-trade sales director said: "We are no strangers to world-class events and providing exceptional experiences for sports fans. We've got history with this site from London 2012, and we're delighted to be back, this time, firmly supporting West Ham."
HEINEKEN has partnerships across a range of relevant sectors, including a longstanding sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League, the Rugby World Cup and Team GB.
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016/17 squad numbers confirmed
West Ham United have confirmed their squad numbers for the 2016/17 season.
1 Randolph
2 Reid
3 Cresswell
4 Nordtveit
7 Feghouli
8 Kouyate
9 Carroll
10 Lanzini
11 Valencia
13 Adrian
14 Obiang
15 Sakho
16 Noble
17 Tore
19 Collins
21 Ogbonna
22 Byram
23 Poyet
24 Fletcher
25 Henry
27 Payet
29 Martinez
30 Antonio
32 Burke
34 Spiegel
35 Oxford
36 Quina
37 Page
39 Cullen
40 Parfitt-Williams
41 Rice
42 Samuelsen
43 Browne
46 Makasi
Manuel Lanzini, who made his move from Al-Jazira Club permanent this summer, is the headline change, taking the No10 shirt after wearing No28 during his first season in Claret and Blue.
New signing Havard Nordtveit is the Hammers' new No4, while Algeria international Sofiane Feghouli has chosen No7.
Their fellow new boy, Turkey international Gokhan Tore will wear No17, while youngsters Ashley Fletcher, Antonio Martinez and Domingos Quina are 24, 29 and 36 respectively.
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Arrive early for first home game
WHUFC.com
Many West Ham United supporters will be attending their first fixture at the Club's historic new home on Thursday night.
The Club's move to London Stadium on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will mark the start of a new matchday routine for each and every fan.
In line with other top sporting and entertainment venues of comparable size and prominence, the Hammers will be doing everything they can to ensure everybody's visit to our iconic home goes as smoothly as possible.
The first and most-important piece of advice is to arrive as early as possible to take in and enjoy your new surroundings, including the concourses, Club London hospitality areas and the giant Stadium Store.
Your brand new concourses are a celebration of all things West Ham and, with twice as many food and drink stands than at the Boleyn Ground and Europe's largest Stadium screens bringing you all the pre-match entertainment, there is every reason to arrive early.
To ensure a safe and secure environment for supporters, friendly stewards will guide you to and from London Stadium and through our new ticket and security checks. There will also be a team of matchday volunteers on hand to offer any further assistance required.
To make the most of your maiden visit, please arrive in good time for the 7.45pm kick-off and join West Ham United at the start of our exciting journey at our world-class home.
Hammers supporters should take note of the following important information to ensure the first visit to our iconic home goes as smoothly as possible.
Pre-match information
Fans are strongly encouraged to travel to London Stadium via public transport, as it is the most-connected football stadium in the country, with nine direct rail links stopping at nearby Stratford and Stratford International stations.
Additionally, more than a dozen London Bus routes call at either Stratford or Stratford City Bus Stations. For more information about public transport, visit tfl.gov.uk
Fans are advised that there is NO spectator parking at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, except for pre-booked Blue Badge spaces (see below).
With 49 accessible parking spaces out of a total of 229 at the Stadium (21.4%), the London Stadium is far in excess of the recommended six per cent target for recreational venues and events. By comparison, the Boleyn Ground had provision for just 20 disabled spaces.
The Club is to operate four free shuttle buses to ferry supporters with accessibility needs between Stratford station and London Stadium pre and post-match. The buses will run from two hours prior to kick-off, to coincide with the turnstiles opening and supporters will be collected from platform 13, near the Jubilee Line
On arrival at Stratford station, fans are advised to take the most direct walking route to London Stadium, which is along Montfichet Road, which is accessible by exiting the station via the Westfield Stratford City exit, then immediately turning right onto Montfichet Road. It will take around 15 minutes to reach London Stadium from Stratford station.
Supporters will also be able to access Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park via Westfield Stratford City up to ONE hour before kick-off (6.45pm), after which staff and signage will direct supporters along Montfichet Road.
Turnstiles will open TWO hours before kick-off, so please arrive as early as possible to visit the Stadium Store and take advantage of the fantastic concessions available within the Stadium concourse.
As is the norm at all major sporting and entertainment venues in this country, London Stadium stewards will be on hand to ensure you are safe and secure during your stay. For your safety and security, ALL fans will be subject to a bag-check on entry to London Stadium. Stewards will also carry out random body searches.
Supporters are kindly asked to be patient while these necessary checks are carried out.
On Thursday evening, a new turnstile and ticketing system in operation for the first time, so queues to enter London Stadium may be slightly longer than normal while fans get used to their new surroundings. The Club would ask supporters to be patient while queuing to enter the Hammers' new home.
While every seat inside London Stadium is covered, the summer has produced the usual unpredictable weather, so fans are strongly advised to bring appropriate clothing and footwear to protect against potential inclement weather.
Post-match information
Stewards and signage will again guide you on the shortest and most direct route to your chosen station or public transport hub.
Supporters walking to Stratford station are advised that Montfichet Road is the most direct route.
If you are in possession of a parking chip or hotel reservation, you also will be granted access to Westfield Stratford City via Chestnut Place (The Cow) and between John Lewis/Jamie's Italian.
As is the norm after every major sporting or entertainment event, public transport services will be busy, so fans are advised to allow enough time to travel home safely. Build in up to 30 minutes to walk to Stratford or Stratford International stations, and further time to board services which are expected to be busy.
Public transport services through Stratford will be busy, so fans are advised to allow enough time to travel home safely. Build in up to 30 minutes to walk to Stratford or Stratford International stations.
Services into central London run from Stratford International and Stratford stations.
If you are travelling home via Euston, King's Cross, St. Pancras International or into Kent, fans are advised to use Stratford International station.
If you are attending an evening event, and are travelling to a destination where you need to connect with other Tube and rail services, supporters should to check when your last service leaves before travelling.
On a move of this scale there will always be things that we need to work on together to get right. So we are asking you to be our eyes and ears. We want you to tell us what is working well and where there's room for improvement.
Please send us your comments and suggestions to foundersfeedback@westhamunited.co.uk so that together, we can provide the very best matchday experience possible.
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THU, 04 AUG 2016EUROPA LEAGUE - QUALIFYING THIRD ROUND - 2ND LEG
19:45
Venue: London Stadium
West Ham United v NK Domzale
BBC.co.uk
How to follow:
Listen on BBC Radio London, live text commentary and report on the BBC Sport website.
West Ham's first game at the Olympic Stadium may feel like an away match to their players, says boss Slaven Bilic. The Hammers begin a new era in their new home when they host Slovenia's NK Domzale in the second leg of a Europa League third qualifying round tie. Around 54,000 will see West Ham bid to overturn a 2-1 deficit but Bilic said: "It doesn't feel like a home game."
The Hammers left Upton Park at the end of last season to move to the stadium which hosted athletics at London 2012. "We will do the same things - go for a meal, get on the coach, but instead of Upton Park, we'll be coming here in front of 54,000," added Bilic. "There's no better way to adjust to a new stadium than playing in it."
West Ham need to win their first game at the Olympic Stadium, officially known as the London Stadium, to advance to the play-off round. "We have a job to do and if we play better than what we did in the first leg we have a great chance of getting through," added Bilic. "We can find excuses and were missing players, but we should have played much better. "We are back home and it is a big game for us on Thursday night. We want to qualify for the next round."
France midfielder Dimitri Payet, Wales defender James Collins and Italy defender Angelo Ogbonna are not yet available for West Ham after their involvement at Euro 2016.
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West Ham's Europa League rivals NK Domzale seek movie inspiration By Matt Davis BBC Sport
Slovenian minnows NK Domzale will be be out to ruin West Ham's first game at the Olympic stadium on Thursday when they meet in the second leg of their Europa League qualifying third-round tie.
Luka Elsner's side "made history" in the first leg with a shock 2-1 win against the Hammers, the biggest result in the club's 95-year existence.
It was a remarkable achievement given the disparity between the two sides.
This is a club that cannot afford to pay transfer fees, that is forced to sell its best players every couple of years, with a team ethic inspired by the Hollywood film 300 and a young manager in the mould of Diego Simeone.
Before Thursday's match, Elsner tells BBC Sport about his coaching philosophy, the club's novel approach to transfers and his Domzale "army".
Diddy Domzale
West Ham were without France international Dimitri Payet but still fielded a strong side in Slovenia, including record £15m signing Andy Carroll.
The likes of Payet and Carroll earn thousands each week, contrasting sharply with the financial pulling power of Domzale.
"A week's salary of any of the West Ham players would be enough to cover the club's expenses for a whole month," said 34-year-old Elsner. "It is a big difference. It would probably cost 60,000 or 70,000 euros [£50,500-£58,900] to run the club for a month."
It is not just in salaries that Domzale are dwarfed by their Premier League rivals.
West Ham's new stadium has a 60,000 capacity, which could hold the 12,588 residents of Domzale almost five times over. By contrast, Domzale play their home games at Sports Park, a stadium that can handle 2,813.
It is so small that the first leg was moved to the Stozice Stadium in Ljubljana. Barely 3,000 attended the first leg, but a sell-out is expected on Thursday.
Revolving doors
Domzale cannot afford to pay transfer fees. The aim is to develop players and sell them on at a profit.
"We never keep one team for two or three years together because we need to sell to survive," Elsner said. "We are constantly changing our first 11."
The club survives on a network of scouts and coaches trying to unearth talent at home and abroad.
"Slovenia is a small market. We play four times against each team, each season, so we know exactly what players are available," Elsner added.
"In terms of scouting, it's tough. We can't pay transfer fees, so we have to look for something that maybe other teams don't see.
"This is the philosophy of the club. We will never have the finances to allow us to spend big but hopefully we have new ideas and really take care of players."
Signing a player via LinkedIn
Elsner says his club do not want "mercenaries" but are looking for a player with a certain type of character.
"We like to take players that maybe have talent but who haven't managed to take that last step to become a really good player," he said. "We give them the possibility to do that and work with them in the hope they develop enough.
"Before we look at their football characteristics, we are looking for good men, with a good personality, who are willing to work. If we have to push someone and be behind them 24 hours a day, then they are not for us.
"In the last three seasons we have sold almost 12 players to other clubs. That is a good story for everyone coming to us."
Domzale found a novel way to sign a player in February, using the online networking service LinkedIn.
After Elsner posted a message asking for an "offensive right-back" who "must have an EU passport", the top-flight club received 150 applications and signed Spanish defender Alvaro Brachi, 30, just before transfer deadline day.
Elsner said: "We have a low budget, we can only afford players with no transfer fees and can only give a salary. That takes a lot of work and imagination. We once used LinkedIn as a possibility and it worked, Alvaro is playing well for us."
This is Sparta!
Domzale players are shown films to motivate them and inspire a team ethic.
One of those is Hollywood movie 300, starring Gerard Butler. It is the story of King Leonidas leading 300 Spartans to victory over the Persian "god-King" Xerxes and his 300,000 soldiers.
"We are an army, we need to stick together to even have a chance of competing," Elsner said. "West Ham have so much quality that if we did not work as a group then we would not have had a chance.
"Like 300, we are small and outnumbered, but we do everything we can to hold our position. We use a lot of motivational stuff through the season. The mental side is huge. We want to be ready to fight on the field."
Simeone Mark II?
Elsner had a successful playing career, winning two Slovenian league titles with Domzale and making one appearance for the national side. He is also Domzale's record appearance holder.
His grandfather is former Austria manager Branko Elsner, while his father, Marko Elsner, won Olympic football bronze with Yugoslavia in 1984.
Elsner retired in 2012 to pursue a coaching career. He is among the youngest in Europe and looks to others for inspiration. Among them is Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone, whom Elsner admires for his ability to create a team ethic.
"I stopped my playing career because I had a passion to be a coach," Elsner said. "I wanted to do it early, get experience. Many questioned my decision, because I could have played on for three or four years."
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3/8/16 LUNCHTIME NEWS ROUND-UP
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 3 AUGUST 2016 AT 11:56AM TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Antonio wants move back to more attacking role –
According to an interview with FourFourTwo, Michail Antonio has stated that he wants to be restored to a more attacking role again this season and become one of the best wingers in the Premier League. This is music to my ears and I'm sure it is to the majority of the Hammers fanbase. Michail goes on to highlight his best moments of last season and how the fans urge him to take on players at every given opportunity.
Hammers in Santon talks? –
According to various sources including Gianluca Di Marzio, Sky Sports and ESPN, the Hammers have turned to current Inter Milan and former Newcastle United fullback, Davide Santon as an option in their ongoing search for a leftback. They claim that Bilic is interested in bringing Santon back to the Premier League on an initial loan deal with an option to buy at the end of the season. Both Sunderland and Napoli were interested in the player earlier in this window but neither move materialised with rumours coming out of Italy that he failed a medical with Napoli. West Ham have been linked with the Italian international before and as our very own ExWHUEmployee stated he could be an option that the club would consider again due to his versatility in being able to play both rightback and leftback. Di Marzio claims that the deal would cost the Hammers €550,000 for the loan fee with a €5.9m option to buy. ESPN have gone as far as stating that Santon has actually flown over for talks with the club and to undergo a medical if these are successful.
Bid increased for Olsson, agent not happy –
According to reports the Hammers have submitted a new £4m bid for the Norwich City leftback after their initial £3m offer was turned down by the Canaries. On top of that the Swede's agent has gone public with his disgust at the Championship club for not letting his client talk to clubs that have made offers for him.
Sakho close to joining the Baggies –
It was reported last night that Diafra Sakho had agreed personal terms with West Brom after they had agreed a fee with the Hammers for disgruntled Senegalese striker. All that remains now is for the former Metz man to pass a medical with the Baggies and for West Ham to then rubberstamp the move. Something they might not actually do until they get a striker in themselves.
A new Bacca deadline? –
It seems that with every day that passes by, Carlos Bacca's options for next season dwindle away one by one. It's no secret that the player wants to move to a Champions League club this Summer but thus far only West Ham have agreed a deal with AC Milan for his services next year. Clubs with reported interested have looked and bought elsewhere such as Atletico Madrid with Gameiro, Sevilla with Ben Yedder/Vietto and now PSG with Jese Rodriguez, although in all likelyhood PSG would never have attempted to sign Bacca in the first place given they already have their maximum 4 non-EU players at the club in Thiago Silva, Luiz, Moura and Maxwell. Now reports from Italy indicate that AC Milan are losing their patience with the whole matter. Various sources have indicated that they have given the Colombian until the end of this week to make a decision, another source has stated that Bacca himself will not agree to move until he knows if West Ham are still in the Europa League after Thursday. This seems well wide of the mark because the Hammers will also have a qualifying tie to past if they win against the Slovenians on Thursday night.
Hammers not interested in Gomez? –
Reports coming out of Besiktas last night indicated that Bilic had spoken to one of their club representatives and confirmed that the Hammers were not interested in the German striker. This is actually quite a complicated deal that most of the press haven't discussed when linking Mario with teams. The Turkish club have an option on Gomez after his loan period in Turkey last year which I believe they have taken up although the player does not want to move there, thus they are due compensation if he moves to another club this window even though Fiorentina own him. According to the Turkish report Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund remain interested in the players whilst the Mirror amongst other English sources claim that West Ham are still very much in the mix for his services but only if our first choice Bacca, officially rejects our offer and we move on.
Calleri confirms Hammers deal –
Jonathan Calleri confirmed to the South American press that he will be joining West Ham this Summer after rejecting offers to join other European Giants. Other sources here claim that the deal is finalised subject to a work permit which cannot be completed until after Argentina are eliminated from the Olympics which could be over 2 weeks from now depending on how far they progress.
Ayew deal – the hold up? –
It's no secret that the club have submitted a sizeable bid for the Ghanaian international who was born in France which most expect the Welsh side to accept. The problem is that Swansea basically have no strikers at present bar Ayew and Emnes and they themselves are frantically searching the market to bring in reinforcements for the position including Sevilla's Llorente and Leicester City's Ulloa. Much like Sakho's imminent departure to West Brom, it may well be that Swansea aren't prepared to let Ayew leave until they bring in a player themselves thus the domino affect once again. Various sources have claimed that the deal has already been agreed with the club and player and this is what's holding up Ayew officially joining.
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EDER ON HAMMERS RADAR?
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 3 AUGUST 2016 AT 12:24PM TheWestHamWay.co.uk
According to Corriere dello Sport, West Ham United will offer Inter Milan €15m to let striker Eder make a move to the Olympic Stadium.
The 29-year-old was one of Italy's key men at Euro 2016 and had been linked with a move to the Chinese Super League earlier this summer, soon after his Italy teammate Graziano Pelle completed a switch.
It is no secret that the Hammers see AC Milan striker Carlos Bacca as their number one target, however negotiations consistently stall, thus West Ham may look elsewhere to find a secure new signing for the summer.
Eder is currently six months into a two-year long loan deal at Inter from fellow Serie A side Sampdoria, but has scored just one goal in 15 games overall for them.
Whilst at Sampdoria, Eder was linked to the Hammers and his goalscoring record of 13 goals last season prior to his January move to Inter would be far more appealing than his form in the second half of the season.
If Eder does become available it wouldn't surprise me if his former National Manager, Antonio Conte showed some interest as they are still looking for striking options at Stamford Bridge although Lukaku seems to be their main target at this point.
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EXWHUEMPLOYEE: SANTON ON HIS WAY
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 3 AUGUST 2016 AT 4:43PM TheWestHamWay.co.uk
It appears that Italian international Davide Santon is flying in from Inter Milan to sign a season long loan for the club.
As I "predicted" on our radio show last week, he would be a top target. The main reason is that he is versatile and can play both at left back (where he will cover Cresswell) and at right back where he will give us an alternative to Antonio and Byram.
The player previously played for Newcastle United and this Premier League experience was also a desirable trait that he had. Santon has a child from an English woman and was keen to move back to the country to spend more time with his daughter.
The move was prompted after both Norwich for Olsson and Brady and Hull with Robertson kept increasing their demands to amounts that we did not think represented value for money.
The plan is to have Santon in place so he can feature in the Juventus friendly and be in line for his debut against Chelsea and so a medical has been booked for today. This transfer and many others will be discussed on our radio show live at 7pm today on Phoenix 98Fm (you can listen through the internet). We will post the links to the show afterwards as well.
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Santon flies in for talks
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 3rd August 2016
By: Staff Writer
Milan defender Davide Santon is on his way to England for a medical ahead of a loan move to West Ham, say reports. ESPN report this morning that the left-sided full back has flown to the UK ahead of talks and a medical, should all progress smoothly. The 25-year-old is expected to join West Ham on a season-long loan with view to a permanent move, should both parties agree. Santon, who joined Inter on a free transfer a year ago is no stranger to the Premier League, having previously featured for Newcastle United. He spent four years on Tyneside with the Magpies before moving to Inter - initially on loan, in February 2015 before sealing a permanent move to Serie A. The Italian defender - once cited as one of the world's most highly-rated teenagers - will prvide back up for the injured Aaron Cresswell, who is out of action until November.
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Sakho set for Albion switch
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 3rd August 2016
By: Staff Writer
Diafra Sakho is on the verge of completing a move to West Bromwich Albion. The out-of-favour striker is poised to complete a £16million move to the Hawthorns before the day is out, having agreed terms with the Midlands-based club. Sakho, 26, is currently undergoing a medical with Albion, according to the Mail, and should that prove successful could be named as a West Brom player by the end of the day. The Senegal international - who cost West Ham £4.5million when signing from Metz in the summer of 2014 - made just 50 appearances for West Ham during his two seasons at the club scoring a total of 19 goals. Albion are set to pay £10million up front, with the remaining £6million dependent on a series of clauses being triggered.
* This story was updated at 4.40pm.
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Bilic confirms Lanzini lay-off
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 3rd August 2016
By: Staff Writer
Slaven Bilic has confirmed that he expects attacking midfielder Manuel Lanzini to be sidelined for around a month after he picked up a knock in an international friendly. The 23-year-old Argentine sustained the knee injury during a pre-Olympics friendly against Colombia and, according to Bilic, is likely to be out of action until the beginning of September. "He joined the Olympic national team, but in a friendly game against Colombia he got a kick on his knee and got injured," confirmed Bilic during his press conference this morning. "It's not only a kick on his knee, to be fair. It's not a big, big injury, but he can't play for the next four or five weeks. I think he's going to miss the first three games of the season, which is not ideal but not that bad. "So, we think he'll be back after the international break following the Manchester City game."
Lanzini - who excelled during his first season at the club in 2015/16 - is expected to miss tomorrow's Europa League second leg against NK Domzale plus the forthcoming Premier League fixtures with Chelsea, Bournemouth and (the aforementioned) Manchester City, on 28 August.
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Bilic confirms Calleri deal
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 3rd August 2016
By: Staff Writer
Slaven Bilic has admitted that signing a new left back is a priority - whilst confirming that Jonathan Calleri is close to joining the club. Bilic, speaking to the media ahead of tomorrow evening's Europa League clash with NK Domzale - a game West Ham must win to stay in the competition - revealed that he is hoping to secure the services of a replacement for the injured Aaron Cresswell imminently. "Even before Cress got injured we were looking to strengthen there," he insisted. "But it's hard to find a good one, who we like and who is willing to come to us. "Many clubs are looking for a left-back, now with Cress' injury that has become a priority. There a few players on our list and hopefully we are going to get one. We are not going to discuss it openly but we are looking in that position."
And Bilic - who trained at the Olympic Stadium with his squad for the first time this morning - also revealed that he is close to completing a deal for the 22-year-old Argentine striker. "It's close, he's a good player," he said. "But the same goes with the players we want to sign for left-back, we are in talks but we are not discussing the transfer. We are trying to do them and then we'll talk. Like any other manager, chairman or director, we would like to do the business as quick as possible. But very rarely can you get it done quickly. "It's a situation that we are all in. We have signed some really good players, we were very quick and active in the beginning or at the end of last season. "Now with these couple of positions, it is not only us, it's the whole of Europe, who can afford of course, that are trying to get those type of players."
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Hammers prepare to smash attendance record KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 3rd August 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's record attendance is set to be smashed tomorrow night when the Hammers host NK Domzale in the Europa League.
KUMB revealed last year how the club's official attendance record of 42,322 - recorded for a Division One clash with Tottenham in 1970 - is almost certainly inaccurate.
That's because some 43 years prior to that occasion, a crowd figure of 44,417 was recorded for another home clash with Tottenham.
However West Ham decided to make the 1970 figure their records attendance as, according to Hammers historian John Northcutt, "the loss of records during the war leaves earlier attendances unconfirmed".
Either way, the existing record is about to be blitzed when around 54,000 supporters visit the Olympic Stadium tomorrow night for United's first ever fixture at their new home.
And that record will be broken itself within a matter of weeks, when Bournemouth become the first team to feature in a Premier League clash at the OS - for which the stadium capacity is being raised to 60,000.
Slaven Bilic revealed today that he is looking forward to the Olympic Stadium opening match - although insisted that his team need to hit the ground running, having lost 2-1 in the first leg last week.
"We have been talking about the new stadium for a long time," he said. "Now it is done, it is up to us to play good and to keep the people who are coming hungry and motivated to watch us all the time.
"We had a negative result in the first leg and we know we will have to play better than we did.
"We have to adjust to the new stadium and there is no better way than to win a game. The wins reduce the time necessary to adjust and hopefully we will start on Thursday.
"We have a job to do but I am confident we are going to play better than we did in Slovenia and that we will beat them with the result that will see us qualify for the play-off stages."
Top Five Attendances at the Boleyn Ground
1. 44,417: 8 Jan 1927 v Tottenham (FA Cup 3rd Round) 2. 42,716: 21 Jan 1938 v Tottenham (FA Cup 4th Round) 3. 42,322: 17 Oct 1970 v Tottenham (Division One) 4. 42,300: 16 Jan 1937 v Bolton Wanderers (Division Two) 5. 42,271: 14 Feb 1972 v Hereford Utd (FA Cup 4th Round replay)
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West Ham in talks with Inter Milan over loan deal for Davide Santon - Sky sources By Sky Sports News HQ Last Updated: 03/08/16 1:23pm SSN
West Ham are in talks with Inter Milan over a deal to sign former Newcastle defender Davide Santon on loan, according to Sky sources. The Hammers have offered a loan fee of £460,000 for the Italian left-back, according to Sky sources, with the option to make the deal permanent next summer for £5m. West Ham are seeking cover for first-choice left-back Aaron Cresswell, who was ruled out for up to four months in July after suffering a knee ligament injury. Sky sources also understand West Ham have had bids for Norwich's Martin Olsson and Hull's Andrew Robertson turned down. Santon, who started his career at Inter, joined Newcastle in 2011 and went on to make 94 appearances for the club during his three-and-a-half years at St James' Park. The 25-year-old, capped eight times by Italy, returned to Inter on loan in January 2015 before making the move permanent six months later. He made only 13 appearances for Inter last season, all but one of those coming in the Serie A, and is contracted to Inter until 2018.
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West Ham midfielder Manuel Lanzini out for five weeks By Nick Lustig Last Updated: 03/08/16 2:56pm SSN
Slaven Bilic has revealed West Ham midfielder Manuel Lanzini will miss up to five weeks of the new season with a knee injury. The 23-year-old sustained the injury while on international duty with Argentina ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and has since returned to London for treatment. Lanzini will miss the opening three matches of the 2016/17 Premier League campaign, but Bilic expects to have him back at his disposal for the home game against Watford on September 10.
Ahead of West Ham's first match at the Olympic Stadium against NK Domzale in the Europa League on Thursday, Bilic said: "Unfortunately that's another blow for us. He was not supposed to play tomorrow anyway. He was with us in the United States during our first part of the pre-season, he stayed there and we flew back to London. He joined the Olympic national team, but in a friendly game against Colombia he got a kick on his knee and got injured. It's not only a kick on his knee to be fair. It's not a big, big injury, but he can't play for the next four or five weeks. "I think he's going to miss the first three games of the season, which is not ideal but not that bad. So, we think he'll be back after the international break following the Manchester City game."
West Ham are also seeking cover for first-choice left-back Aaron Cresswell, who was ruled out for up to four months after suffering a knee injury in the 3-0 pre-season victory over German side Karlsruher in July. Sky sources understand the Hammers are in talks with Inter Milan over a deal to sign left-back Davide Santon on loan and have also had bids rejected for Norwich's Martin Olsson and Hull's Andrew Robertson. "Even before Cress got injured we were looking to strengthen there but it's hard to find a good one, who we like and is willing to come to us," the West Ham manager said. "Most clubs are looking for a left-back, now with Cress' injury that has become a priority. "There a few players on our list and hopefully we are going to get one, but before we sign one or if we sign one, we are not going to discuss it openly. But we are looking in that position."
Sky sources also understand West Ham have bid £20m for Swansea forward Andre Ayew, while Argentine striker Jonathan Calleri is set to join the club on a season-long loan from Boca Juniors. When asked about the deal to sign Calleri, Bilic said: "It's close and he's a good player. Like I said, the same goes with the players we want to sign for left-back, we are in talks but we are not discussing the transfer. We are trying to do them and then we'll talk. "Like any other manager, chairman or director, we would like to do the business as quick as possible. But very rarely can you get it done quickly. "It's a situation that we are all in. We have signed some really good players, we were very quick and active in the beginning or at the end of last season. "Now with these couple of positions, it is not only us, it's the whole of Europe, who can afford of course, that are trying to get those type of players."
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