West Ham thread *FA Cup Finalists. Come on you Irons!!*

[West_ham_hammer]

I see with a have a crack squad of players now at west ham.

Sorry, I read the official west ham website wrong.

I see we have a player, Shaun Newton, suspended for testing positive for cocaine.

Maybe it was the reason he turned into a great player last season! All of a sudden he was Mr super sub, always great and reliable when coming off the bench!

Seriously though, Mr Hammer would like to think this is a isolated incident for Shaun Newton and an isolated incident for West Ham as a football club.
I just hope it doesn't overshadow our great achievements last season in the league and Fa cup.

West Ham have put out an official statement.

[The Artist Known As GTM]

Thing is he's friends with Pardew from their Charlton days. It serves Pardew very well to keep him on as opposed to abandoning him. It improves upon the team spirit Pardew has done so well to instill into the team and their "stick together" attitude.

Thing is if you really look at it he's supporting him which is a good thing as if you read the stories Newton has had a rough time with his Mum being ill etc.

But he's supporting a player that doesn't really play that much - nor will he much next season anyway with the inclusion of Bowyer and others.

He'll be a squad player so they support him and get credit in the process for helping him through it. Everyone's a winner and very shrewd bit of PR from W-Ham.

I'm not saying that was the intention as I firmly believe Pardew and Newton are friends and he did it with the best intentions but it reflects very well on them as a club.

Word is your buying Brett Emerton?! Read it in the Independent (probably be mentioned in this thread and I've missed it) - for 1.5m.

Very skillful player would be a great signing for you lot.

West Ham could be a dark horse this year, still got questions on the defence but if they play with the spirit they did last year then....

Hope they lose on the first day though of course!!
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[West_ham_hammer]

From what I read in the paper I didn't buy (Stood and read it in Asda) He isn't a drug addict so to speak. He has had family problems and in a moment of weakness took some cocaine with a mate. It supposedly was a one off incident.

But it does bring up the question of why he is associating himself with a mate who has cocaine in his possesion (if that's how we are led to believe it)

I heard that bit somewhere as well GTM about Mr Emerton. I guess he'll do ok at West Ham. You are right about our defence though. As much as I like Attacking football, it would be nice to keep a few clean sheets. Our defenders are good, but leave the back exposed by trying to attack for ninety minutes.

[The Artist Known As GTM]

[theMagpie]

I'll tell you what, i'm impressed with Pardew's transfer activity, and i like his attacking style, i liked watching West Ham last season, entertaining team i must say.

I remember Pardew at Reading, he would say things like he wants to get Reading into europe etc, i loved him then, his arrogance and the way Reading played, he went to West Ham i wasnt keen on him at first but he has won me other last season, and he has forfilled his dream of getting a team to europe.

Well played Pardew and good luck to the hammers next season, best team in London, lol.

[West_ham_hammer]

I can't wait for the new season to start. Luckily we had the world cup to keep us occupied during the beginning of the close season, but now I am getting bored of no football on telly or lack of a match to watch live.

West Ham getting into Europe has already cost me £22 pound on a club membership this season. There is no way I am making the mistake I made last season regarding tickets. Because of work commitments I had to give up my season ticket of 8 years. Now I just go to games I know I am going to be off work for, which normally means booking well in advance. Also hope Sky television decide to leave the fixtures on the day and time first advertised. Anyway last season it would mean logging onto the online booking service at 9am on the day the tickets were released and swearing like crazy as the system repeatedly went tits up on numerous occasion. Then not knowing if I had a ticket or not until the confirmation email came through. Sometimes even that didn't happen, I only knew I had a ticket by asking at the ticket office when I went to a match. I just hope this season West Ham have pulled there fingers out and got the Internet ticket office working to a standard that is deemed acceptable.

Now I have this club membership that I mentioned cost me £22 It gives me priority on tickets after bond and season ticket holders. Also there is some sort of point system on every ticket you purchase, which gives you priority on tickets for important games, such as the FA cup semi final and FA cup final (should we do well again) But the main reason I wanted the mentioned club membership was to get priority over the UEFA cup tickets now that we have qualified for that competition due to our FA cup appearance last season. I remember our last dip into the UEFA cup. The night games at West Ham have always been special, but what with them being of UEFA cup calibre it makes them extra special, they live in the memory so to speak.

Not long now until the season starts, even know I am away on holidays for the first two weeks of it!!!

[The Artist Known As GTM]

I think you may have a good season but you've got a tough start against Charlton with Jimmy Floyd already opening up his account yesterday and his official debut.

I have to say I love turning over West Ham at the best of times but to come back with Iain Dowie on the sunny first day of the season and spank you would make my season already haha...

Can't see it happening but a boy can dream can't he!
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[West_ham_hammer]

As much as I know you would love to spank us, I don't think it is going to happen.
So Jimmy may score one or two, but we have Ashton, Cole Harewood Zamora Sheringham. All excellent strikers and more then capable of scoring on there day.

Now I don't obviously know which ones are going to start the match against Charlton. But I will bet it will be Harewood and Ashton with Zamora and possibly Cole on the bench.

I know our defence likes to concede goals, not through there inability to defend, but there caviler approach to defending. We are an all round attacking team, and place little emphasis on defending. So to have the strike force that we have going into the coming season gives me hope that for every one goal we concede, there will be two we will score.
And I haven't even touched on our goal scoring midfield players. The likes of Benayoun and Reo coker.

Good luck GTM you will need it. And you now have officially the ugliest manager in the premiership.

Having just said about I strength in attacking and scoring goals. I see we lost a pre season friendly yesterday West Ham 1 IFK Gothenburg 2.
And I see Anton Ferdinand went off with an injury scare. According to various websites it is a pulled hamstring, hopefully not that bad and he will be ok for the start of the season.

Also it seems Newcastle are after Dean Ashton from for ten million pounds. I for one will be sad to see him go, if we do indeed sell him. But it will be a nice little profit on a player we brought last season.

[The Artist Known As GTM]

Well I've heard conflicting stories about it - you can never believe what you read in the News of the World but I've seen that Shearer possibly might of chatted to him which would be a big pull. Also with Duff going there they are signalling their intentions.

I can't see him going without at least one full season under his belt at West Ham but as big a club as West Ham you probably couldn't blame him if Newcastle come in with a big money offer could you?

Great striker and definately one for the future not only for the Premiership but also for England with him and Rooney...

I don't think we'll need luck we have a topsy turvy record against West Ham but bar the nightmare 5-0 at Christmas a few seasons back I can't remember losing more times then we've won. There was the 4-2 at the Valley with Parker at his mecurial best and then I remember one of our many Upton Park day outs when we did you 2-0.

Funniest because it was shortly after the Queen Mum had died and there was a two minute silence - stopped only in the away end by the tannoy and the announcement that "there are still tickets available for Bolton away next Wednesday". Next thing it stopped abruptly and I can imagine someone running in shouting "shut up you fool!!!"

I think you will start with Harewood and Ashton if they are both still at the club, it's by far your strongest strikeforce...

Roll on the first day of the season - ugliest manager of not I will take great pleasure in gloating if we beat youse!

Ugly though? Alright he's not a pretty boy but Wenger is pretty weird looking too!!
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[West_ham_hammer]

On the plus side, I have just heard that Anton Ferdinand's hamstring injury isn't as bad as thought.
It seems it is only a minor strain, He is back at West Ham United's training ground (Chadwell Heath) receiving treatment, and should be back in action asap.

I haven't actually memorised the fixture list yet, but GTM are we playing you again over the Christmas period? it seems every season we get Charlton on boxing day or new years day. Not that that bothers me in the slightest. I would rather travel to Charlton then Newcastle.

And before I sign off, something to laugh at.

Spurs new kit http://www.tottenhamhotspur.co.....40706.html

[Magpie]

Some bad news for Hammers fans today as it seems Dean Ashton has broken his ankle in training and will miss out on not only the start of the season but also making his debut for England against Greece tomorrow. Can't help but feel gutted for him.

His appalling bad luck is probably as a result of being linked (in the media at least) with a move to cursed club Newcastle United. It now seems that even being mentioned in the same sentence as them brings misfortune and injury!
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[SE13]

I was about to post regarding the ankle break for Dean Ashton, however I see I was beaten to it!! This is terrible bad luck for the player, who apparently was certain to start for England in their friendly against Greece at Old Trafford, Manchester tomorrow evening. Now not only is his England career on the back foot again, but he seems set to miss a large chunk of the start of the season as a result of the breakage.

I suspect Alan Pardew will not be a happy man!
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[theMagpie]

Great victory for West Ham, saw the highlights, Lee Bowyer looked fantastic, he is a fantastic player, hell of a debut from him, really making up for the time he joined you from Leeds and was poor.

I take it he had a lot of fans to win over?

[Magpie]

I was just going to say the same thing! I saw the highlights over the weekend and Bowyer was fantastic. I didn't really want him to leave Newcastle but if a player wants to go then who are we to stop him.

It'll be interesting to hear from West_ham_hammer what sort of reception he got.
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[West_ham_hammer]

In response to Magpie's question on the kind of response that Lee Bowyer got on his return to Upton park after a few seasons north of the border.

I have no idea I was stood in a pub in Lincoln on the opening day of the season sampling a half pint ( I was driving ) of the amber nectar.

Saying that, I have since seen the whole game from a torrent I managed to locate. And I must say how hugely impressed I was with the contribution and effort put in by A certain Lee Bowyer. He was by far the man of the match that game, and was unlucky not to get on the score sheet himself, what with the effort that cannoned of the post and out into play again.

I managed to find a live stream for our second game of the season against Watford on Tuesday night. Once again Bowyer had a good match and was unlucky not to score. I for one certainly think we have a star player (even though I dislike him as a person) It's just his ability to always let himself down by doing something stupid that earns him a red card or warning from the FA of some sort.

On the Dean Ashton front, I was gutted to hear he had broke his ankle and may be out until Christmas. It wasn't the fact he will play no part in west ham united's start to the season. It was the fact he was going to miss out on what seemed a certain start in an England shirt. But I am sure once he is fully fit and playing regularly again his chance will soon arise again.
Anyway who needs Ashton when we have

'Zamora oooooooooh
He's better then Jermaine
He came from **** hart lane
Zamora ooooooooohhhhhhhh'



Top of the goalscoring charts and going for that golden boot!! (Well we hammers fans have funny imaginations)

I put Bobby Zamora in the same bracket as Peter Crouch. He's one of those players that is awkward on the ball and is never going to dazzle you with skill and creativity, but he is going to score you a goal. Whether it be off his backside or shin. He will score.

So it brings me to this Saturday, another game I am going to have to be contempt to watch on my computer screen. Liverpool won the cup on penalties ( And I brought the west ham version of the Fa cup Final dvd. Not that 'The Steven Gerrard cup final nonsense!! We were there to everyone! We were two nil up, we were injury time away from victory! Ok Mr Gerrard was instrumental in your victory, BUT WE WERE THERE AS WELL!!!!
Saturday I have down as a draw. And no you can't have a penalty shootout at the end.
1963 or there about was the last time we won at Anfield. So a draw like I say

Unfortunately work is dictating my visits to Upton park once again this season. And as such my first visit to view my beloved hammers will not be until October 1st. Should be a good game though, it's against Alan Pardews former employers Reading

I'll try and get back and report on our glorious efforts from Anfield on Saturday after I have watched the Game live and direct from my living room on Saturday.