In the second part of the KUMB interview with Eggert Magnusson this week the question was asked if the club will try to keep hold of players of Dean Ashton's Calibre. His reponse was simple "He's staying with us, for me that's clear. But no matter what Curbishley says, he's staying with us!"

This is music to our ears and clearly defines the new board's ambitions putting to rest fears of a wholesale clearout such as the one enforced on our last relegation. Ashton maybe concerned and wanting to leave but with intentions like these displayed by Magnusson he could be in for a shock. In fact I feel alot better about the whole situation - it could even be fun spending a season in the fizzy pop league with a squad capable of running away with the title.

Eggert Magnusson in an interview with KUMB has stated that West Ham fans average salaries are second only to Chelsea's @ a staggering 60K GBP per annum. This surely can not be right. Personally I'm not even on 60k AUD and if I went back to the UK I beleive I could seek an annual salary of approx 30 to 35k GBP as an accountant.

I seriously hope he is not basing his figures on our future growth on this because I feel he could get a rude shock. On my pilgrimage to Upton Park last year I'm fairly sure that the average person sitting in my vacinity was not holding down a job with greater renumeration than myself - ok appearances can be decieving but surely they weren't all playing down their wealth.

Perhaps Eggert is including boyhood West Ham fans Bobby Zamora, Mark Noble & Lee Bowyer in his calculations? Or maybe self confessed West Ham fans and Birmingham directors Messrs Gold & Sullivan have also found their way into the figures? Who knows - all I know is if the average hammers fan's salary really is 60k GBP then I need to find a new job!

As posted on the forums of KUMB.

c+p from the guardian.

Ferdinand vows to learn lesson after 'worst time in game'
By Glenn Moore
Published: 27 March 2007
Anton Ferdinand became one of the first footballers to represent England at the new Wembley on Saturday, but even that honour only temporarily lifted the gloom that has enveloped his season.

Last night he admitted that "this has been my worst time in football" but promised to learn from his mistakes, just as his elder brother, Rio, has done. Anton Ferdinand is one of many West Ham players whose performances have dipped as the club has languished in the relegation zone but his real "crime", in the eyes of many within and without the club, was to spend a recent weekend partying in South Carolina after telling the club he was in the Isle of Wight.

Ferdinand, who was fined and apologised, said: "If you don't make mistakes then you don't learn. No one's perfect and as long as I keep my head on my shoulders, which I do, and keep my feet on the ground, that's all that matters.

"I wouldn't say my reputation was damaged. People that know me know what I'm about. They won't read the papers and assume things straight away, they'll ring and ask me. People who don't know me are going to be quick to have their opinion. That's their choice and I accept that. As long as my family are a strong, tight unit around me, which they are, that's all that matters."

Ferdinand said that he and Rio had sat down and discussed such issues. Rio's past mistakes include being banned for drink-driving, and subsequently being dropped by England, and missing a drug test, for which he was suspended for six months. He has largely stayed clear of problems since then.

Anton said: "He's made mistakes and he's one of the best defenders in the world, if not the best. If the world's best can make mistakes then so can the youngsters coming up. You don't learn unless you do make those mistakes. People who know me know I'm strong at heart. I've got broad shoulders and I'm committed."

Ferdinand's performance was patchy at Wembley but he clearly has talent and was only 22 last month. He is thus likely to play again at the new stadium. "I'm ambitious and I want to fulfil my ambition of playing for the full national squad," he said. "It would definitely be nice to play alongside Rio. It's down to me because Rio's there already."

He added: "Saturday was a nice break but I'm now ready to carry on [the fight against relegation].

"[West Ham] have got to win at Middlesbrough on Saturday. We're starting to show the fight that we should have been doing at the start of the season and we've got a good chance of staying up."

New ways to spot the best rising stars in Europe are also part of Magnusson's plans

WEST Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson has confirmed he wants to build a new 60,000 seater stadium for the club within five years.

He told the Guardian: "We have the fan base for it."

The Hammers have been linked with a move to the old Parcelforce site near West Ham Underground Station and Mr Magnusson said: "It's close to Upton Park, that's all I can say.

"I think we have a great club with really great support. The fans have been fantastic since I've been here, and my vision is to build a new stadium and to build a successful team, slowly but surely.

"It won't happen next year or the year after. It will take time, but that team will challenge for the highest honours in English football as well as getting into Europe, the UEFA Cup and then hopefully the Champions' League.

"It will take at least five years, but I am sure it can happen. West Ham as all the right foundations to get there.

"I would definitely hope to have a new stadium for West Ham before the Olympics in 2012."

The Icelandic businessman also revealed he has plans for a new "better" and "bigger" training ground to replace the club's Chadwell Heath facility and to introduce a Frank Arnesen-style sporting director to scour Europe for the best young players.

He said keeping fans favourite Carlos Tevez at the club beyond the summer was beyond his control.

This is what really pisses me off about relegation - these cunts get us in the mess then piss off. They don't care cos they just jump ship when it all goes wrong leaving us heartbroken! They are who we entrust our club with and then they just shit on us from a great height. Then they wonder why they get abuse when they play for other clubs - even our most hated rivals!

Source: tribalfooball.com - March 20, 2007

Danny Gabbidon admits he and his West Ham teammates may seek to jump ship should they be relegated.

"The thought of the Championship is not a good one. In the top flight you play against great teams and players every week and that is where you want to stay to play your football," he said.

"I'm at the stage of my career when I want to keep progressing. I'm 27, I'm not at an age where I want to drop down a level. I want to be in the Premiership, that's where the best players are.

"And being in the top division will help me at international level. Anyone in the team would say we want to stay in the Premiership after what we achieved last season, but there still time to get ourselves out of it.

"If not, the players I'm sure will be assessing the situation."

Is this bad for West Ham? Maybe not. Maybe it means he has more chance of staying at the club. This season is over for West Ham; it really is, no matter what way you try and look at it.

Deano has had an arthroscopy on his troublesome ankle and had some scar tissue dealt with scuppering any chance he had of starting a game for the Hammers before the season's end. It will be six weeks before he can run again by which time the season will be at an end.

Could be a blessing in disguise although I feel very bad for him. Hopefully he'll play a big part in our promotion campaign next season.

This season he's lucky to be in the full West Ham squad!

Skysports C&P

Anton Ferdinand has set his sights on a first senior call-up to the England squad.

The West Ham defender, 22, is set to play for England Under 21s in the friendly with Italy Under 21s on Saturday.

The game will be the first professional match to be played at the new Wembley stadium, and Ferdinand is keen to emulate the success of his brother Rio at the new ground.

"I never played at the old Wembley, but I saw Rio play there," he told the Daily Star. "Hopefully I can go from playing there with the Under 21s to playing there with the full squad."

Our season might be long lost but we've got three points away from home and we've got some luck for once. The penalty was a penalty, IMO. The goal wasn't a goal. Their 'goal' was rightly disallowed. But I think the ref was doing us favours even before the penalty, but I have to say it's not before time.

Player ratings

Green 6 - maybe should have done better for the goal, and some dodgy moments, but came good at the end.
McCartney 6 - poor early on but crucially didn't make any really bad mistakes and got better.
Ferdinand 6 - can hardly remember him playing.
Collins 6 - some bad decisions but OK.
Neill 6 - weird game for Lucas. Positioning wasn't always up to scratch but made some cracking tackles.
Etherington 5 - AWOL until the 93rd minute.
Noble 5 - totally missing.
NRC 6 - absent except for a 10 minute period at the end of the first half when he thought he'd get subbed off. Had his moments though.
Bowyer 6 - didn't do much.
Harewood 5 - nothing like the player he used to be. Disinterested.
Tevez 7 - our only threat, but a bit slow in making decisions sometimes. Not given much support.

Mullins 6 - shored up our midfield better.
Zamora 7 - lively.
Boa Morte 6 - how much did we pay for him again?

It appears Jurgen the German has shot to top of the favourites list to become the next manager of Australia. Jurgen caused a mini shock at the world cup last year by guiding Germany to 3rd place and would be seen as a good long term replacement for Guus Hiddink who caused some suprizes of his own at the last world cup.

Being West Ham obviously this doesn't sit too well with Jurgen being a former yid and if you're also an England fan you'll remember the dirty diving cheating scum at Italia '90.

From a Sky interview with Lucas Neill.

"The club are very professional and there is no rift in the dressing room. We are very much together and you saw that on Sunday - and I think you will find that until the end of the season. A line has been drawn under everything in the past - whether it's true or not true - and the only way is up for West Ham. I came here to further my career - I'm committed to the club and until they tell me otherwise I'm happy to stay here long-term - I don't want to be a failure, I want to be a success. I just see talented young players who want to be successful - but they need a little bit of guidance. Some of them are that fresh that they lack the experience to be consistent at this level. he older guys are trying to steer them through, to get us on a roll and get the confidence up. You saw what the team did last year - they had a great FA Cup run. I would like to be part of a team that wins four, five or six games in a row - that would excite me. It's a massive task - there are only so many points to go for, and we probably need 18 to 20. We're going to do what we can to fight for them."

WEST Ham United's Argentina forward Carlos Tevez celebrated his first goal for the English Premier League's bottom side yesterday, but has admitted he would like to return to Brazilian team Corinthians.

Tevez arrived from the Sao Paulo outfit alongside international teammate Javier Mascherano on transfer deadline day last August, a move that sent shockwaves through football.

Mascherano has since moved on to Liverpool.

It had been shrouded in secrecy and took everyone by surprise. To add to the intrigue, no financial details were released and a management company allegedly owned the contracts for both players.

At the weekend Tevez netted a sublime free-kick as his relegation-threatened side lost 4-3 at home to Tottenham Hotspur.

But Tevez said overnight he has received an approach from Rio de Janeiro giants Flamengo, but would rather return to Brazilian football, although only to play for Corinthians.

Tevez was speaking by telephone on a television program Tercer Tiempo.

"Many people say that I left by the back door at Corinthians, but that wasn't the case," "Carlitos", as he was known in Brazil, said.

"I know that I am going to return to Corinthians and give the fans what they want. They can rest assured that I will return."

That may even happen sooner than he expects as West Ham have been charged by the English Premier League for breaking transfer rules over the signing of the two Argentineans and it remains to be seen what comes of that.

With the Hammers also looking certain to be relegated, Tevez will surely not play in the English Championship next season.

Corinthians are struggling at the moment and need a boost having lost 3-0 to Palmeiras in the Sao Paulo state championship, leaving them in ninth place and with little chance of qualifying for the championship semi-finals.

bums on seats! he ain't kidding...

c+p BBC

Sheringham 'offered Sydney deal'

Australian side Sydney FC have offered a deal to West Ham's ex-England striker Teddy Sheringham, according to reports.

Sheringham, 41 next month, is believed to have been offered a year's contract and the option of a second year at the A-League club.

"He's still playing at the top level and is, by any standards, an excellent player," club chief executive George Perry told Sydney's Daily Telegraph.

"He has a wealth of experience and his presence would put bums on seats."

The paper also said Sydney moved for Sheringham after a bid for Charlton striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink fell through over the player's salary demands.

Former England captain Terry Butcher managed Sydney from 2006 up until last month when he parted company with the club.

Dear Mr Rhodes

Thank you for your email concerning the comment column by Tom Duncan in the Recorder of February 28.

Mr Duncan has not been in the office, but I have managed to contact him and to explain your feelings and he has expressed his disappointment that the item in his column has been misunderstood.

His comments were made in a manner to describe the emotions of West Ham supporters.

He had no intention of implying that the rape of a person was comparable with the relegation of a football team.

Mr Duncan will be responding to the comments you have made in his next column.


Yours sincerely


Colin Grainger Editor, Newham Recorder Series

My Further Response:

Colin

Thank you for your quick response to my email.

I appreciate what you are saying and I share the feelings of every fan as I have watched nearly every minute of this season. I even understand these thoughts going through a fan’s head but to print them to a public audience in this manor is irresponsible. You state Mr Duncan had no intention of implying that the rape of a person was comparable with the relegation of a football team…

To quote Mr Duncan word for word:

“events at Upton Park this season have been like witnessing the gang rape of someone you love”

Do you really stand by your comments that Mr Duncan had no intention of implying that the rape of a person was comparable with the relegation of a football team?? I personally think the above is conclusive that a comparison was made – you seem an intelligent person and given the education required to hold your position as an editor of a respected local newspaper I’m sure you would agree.

I actually think the bulk of the article was an honest piece of writing but the comparisons made were a grave error of judgement in my opinion.

Regards
Dave

Can't put my feelings into words. Strange team selection - a good team, but so many changes it's a wonder we made a game of it. Gutted to see Upson and Davenport both injured AGAIN. Gutted for Noble, Green, Tevez, Zamora, and of course all the fans. What can you say?

Player ratings
Green 8 - excellent saves, not at fault for any of the goals.
Konchesky 4 - An absolute liability.
Upson (not enough time)
Davenport 6 - Decent
Ferdinand 6 - Good
Neill 6 - Decent
Etherington 5 - Practically absent and not helpful getting back.
Noble 8 - Covered every blade twice, got a goal, and got tons of ball. Made an error for one of the goals - but I'm loathe to criticise as he did his role and Quashie's as well. Must start next game.
Quashie 5 - Ineffective
Bowyer 6 - Silly penalty
Tevez 8 - Superb, loved seeing him get his first for West Ham
Harewood 6 - Poor touch

Blanco 6 - OK
Zamora 6 - Thought he'd won it

If West Ham are guilty, so are the Premier League

c/p Patrick Barclay, Sunday Telegraph, UK

What will the Premier League suspect next? That rain is wet? The gradual dawn of a notion that there might have been something questionable about the deal that brought Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano from the Brazilian club Corinthians to West Ham is hard to credit. If Premier League officials really did not know that the registration of at least one of the players was partly owned by a third party, they were all but alone. The BBC and everyone else had broadcast it throughout the land and newspapers aired the shameless boasts of Kia Joorabchian, the entrepreneur who had dealt with West Ham's erstwhile chairman, Terry Brown. Yet the Premier League - and the FA - waved the deal through. This was so plainly stupid I remarked upon it at the time. If West Ham are guilty of endangering the game's integrity, so are the Premier League and FA. Yet who administers the administrators? Our sports minister may have done useful work on football with the European Union, but by and large, when the game needs Richard Caborn, he is not there.

Now West Ham are charged and threatened with points deduction. That would be fair only if the Premier League had done their job and warned the club not to field Tevez and Mascherano until investigations were complete, and yet the club had gone ahead and picked them. Meanwhile the new regime headed by Eggert Magnusson have hardly covered themselves in glory. Magnusson came with a reputation as a smart fellow well versed, through Uefa experience, in the ways of football; this lies in tatters. Only a few weeks ago he was handing Brown compensation for loss of office and privileges including a life vice-presidency. Now he is planning to sue his predecessor should West Ham be relegated. Naive or what? It was obvious from the start that Brown was taking a course that might land West Ham in an expensive mess. And, as yet, there have been no reports of an offer to alleviate it with a donation out of the £30 million he made from the sale of his shares.

Legend Hammers keeper Phil Parkes has hit out at the current West Ham setup and saved special attention for our captain and manager according to the Daily Mirror.

Parkes says the team only has themselves to blame for their current predicament with avoiding relegation now an almost impossible task. "They have the ability in the squad but if you don't show the passion for the fight you have no business in the team and no business wearing a West Ham shirt.

"One or two players would not have made the Hammers reserve team when I was at the club and that is not me looking back with claret and blue tinted glasses.

"West Ham fans will put up with a lot of things, but what they can't abide is players running about the pitch trying to avoid the ball and generally not up for the fight and I have seen that too often this season.

"I sympathise wholeheartedly with the fans who start chanting against the team. They pay an awful lot of money to watch West Ham and when they see some of the efforts put in by some of the players, you can understand their frustration."

"I've heard Curbs has had rows with a couple of players after games, then left them out of the team. If that is the case it is a very disappointing thing to happen - you need your best players in the team at all times," he continued.

"I can't help thinking that more strikers would have been a better bet during the January window. Up front was where they had real problems and they still will have even if Dean Ashton gets back in the team.

"I wouldn't have bought Lucas Neill or Matthew Upson on the contracts they were offered. It is crazy to sign players who will be able to leave at the end of the season if the team go down."

"Nigel Reo-Coker is not the right man to captain a side that is struggling. He can't even get himself playing to the best of his ability, let alone anyone else.

"The war may be nearly lost but there are battles to go and the West Ham players need to start showing real passion - at least even if they go down, they will have gone down fighting."

The headline and first paragraph say it all (click on the image to see a bigger version). What a fucking stupid thing to say. Hope this wanker, and the editor, get sacked over this.

Feel free to send the idiot an email.

c+p from Dean Ashton's diary on icons.com. You can leave him a well wishing message on that site.

=========================================

You may have heard this week that I was ready to play again, however I want to set the record straight. It came out in the press that I was going to be playing for West Ham's reserves on Monday night, but it was a misunderstanding. People see it as simple – just a broken bone, but it's a lot more complicated than that.

I have even had people asking me how I got on in the actual game, which is just absurd! So I want everyone to know exactly what's going on.

I have been seeing a specialist called Alan Watson at a sports rehab clinic called BiMal in Chiswick. I had a cortisone injection to get rid of some scar tissue there about five weeks ago, and after that everything was feeling really good. My ankle was actually feeling the best it has felt. So I started doing fitness work again; things like a week's worth of running and ball work. And I was feeling great. I can't stress just how much I want to get back to help West Ham, because I am desperate to play in the Premier League next season.

But because I came out onto the training pitches, looking really good, and being really optimistic, perhaps people got the wrong end of the stick.

The rumour mill went into overdrive and everyone was saying that I was going to play. But it was a pure result of optimism; people got caught up in how well I had done in training. But thinking about it more and more you can see it needs time. I want to get across that it's not a simple bone injury. The joint needs time.

So, it was all blown out of proportion. I have been out for six-and-a-half months now and I am desperate to come back but it's just not right yet. So until the time is right, it's just a case of working hard.

Because of the situation West Ham are in, obviously it would be a boost if I came back and believe me, nobody wants me to play more than I do. I am absolutely desperate to play, but there is no point in rushing it. It's not going to do me any good to come back before I'm ready, and I don’t think anyone would want to see me come back if I wasn’t 100 per cent. It would be like taking one step forward and ten steps back, so that is why it has to take time.

It's not that I am taking longer than I need to; it's just that my ankle needs time to get used to it all again; I am at exactly the right point in this stage of my recovery. I can't go and do five days in a row. I need to do two days on, then have a day off and build it up slowly from there. The actual fracture is superb, it isn’t a problem, but it is going to take me a good while to really build up the ankle joint and get used to the impact again. At the moment the rest is just as important as the rehab, my ankle has to get used to working all over again.

I'm not even thinking about match fitness at the moment. It's not the matches that worry me; I am just trying to build myself up slowly. It's not a case of "There you go, it's fine, off you go, you can play again." It's very complicated and it takes a long time for your ankle to get used to loading.

I can't stress just how much I want to get back to help West Ham, because I am desperate to play in the Premier League next season. That is where I need to be to get back into the England squad, which is where I was before this all happened.

If something is going to happen, people are going to hear about it first on icons.com, not anywhere else. I am the one who knows how it is, and the proof will come when I am actually playing.

Again, thank you all for your continued messages of support; it's nice to know that people are thinking about me, even though I am not playing.

Keep checking back and I'll keep you up to date on how I'm doing right here. Bye for now!