tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49338225158816711372011-04-21T18:51:29.867-05:00A novice football fan from Chicago follows West Ham UnitedVGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.comBlogger1081100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-40908856540716787672007-12-27T23:12:00.000-06:002007-12-27T23:14:43.421-06:00

It should not have come to a late chance on the wrong side for Scott Parker for West Ham to beat Reading on Boxing Day at Upton Park. Parker tried to get the ball onto his stronger right foot and was unable to reproduce the magic that brought the Hammers a 2-1 win on Saturday at Middleborough. Instead, West Ham had to settle for a 1-1 draw against a Reading side that played 10 men for an hour.I

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-70796381751249611982007-12-27T23:01:00.000-06:002007-12-27T23:12:37.529-06:00

As I was enjoying that pint of Beamish Wednesday morning, Manchester United were demolishing Sunderland on Wearside, scoring three in the first half on the way to winning 4-0. The match was featured in the back room of the Globe, and the Red Devil fans filled the room. West Ham had been on back there, but I moved to the front bar a few minutes after the second match began. The first two goals

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-57161394129365171762007-12-27T22:34:00.000-06:002007-12-27T23:15:33.218-06:00

I was crushed as I listened to Everton's late winner in the League Cup over West Ham at Upton Park. I had been eagerly awating extra time when Yakubu took advantage of a real howler to score the winner in a 2-1 Everton victory. It's simple why I was so disappointed: It was their best chance. The bigger clubs just don't concern themselves as much with the League Cup as they do the FA Cup. Just

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-41396481971765166982007-12-27T22:33:00.000-06:002007-12-27T22:34:41.785-06:00

I don't know how much help Robert Green had with this article, but Green wrote an impressive ode to the selection of Fabio Capello as England manager. Obviously, Green hopes to be called into the side by the new manager. I still thought it was well written and reasoned. I think it was particularly interesting to read Green's descriptions of being in the England camp for training -- especially

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-25108547347227184222007-12-19T08:01:00.000-06:002007-12-19T13:47:26.789-06:00

There's a baseball writer in Chicago who frequently -- too frequently in my opinion -- uses allusions to movies and television shows in his articles. These references are a stretch in most cases, as far as I am concerned. TMG has heard me complain about him many times. So I feel a bit hypocritical in writing that Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson's moves to buy out Eggert Magnússon's stake in West Ham and

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-81523381204361245722007-12-11T23:33:00.000-06:002007-12-11T23:34:45.513-06:00

It was a few days after the fact, but I finally got around to watching Everton's tie last week at Goodison Park against Zenit St. Petersburg in the UEFA Cup. I wanted to watch it as a preview of West Ham's two matches this week against Everton at Upton Park: Wednesday in the quarterfinals of the Carling Cup and Saturday in the Premiership. Everton beat Zenit 1-0, and it wasn't the most impressive

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-2028948403192218392007-12-04T23:09:00.000-06:002007-12-05T08:36:53.696-06:00

The West End of London is the stylish side of town, and Roman Abramovich expects style out of his £300 million side. Abramovich's expectations led to the sacking of José Mourinho earlier this year and was replaced by avuncular Avram Grant. The Israeli manager was supposed to bring beautiful football to Stamford Bridge, but outside observers don't see it that way, and it wasn't any different when

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-83374081838625009822007-12-04T23:07:00.000-06:002007-12-10T10:14:49.565-06:00

West Ham manager Alan Curbishley reportedly wants to thin out the squad a bit in the January transfer window and is no longer interested in summer targets Eidur Gudjohnsen and Adriano. Besides the fact that Adriano doesn't want to come to the East End, why wouldn't West Ham want him? Curbishley likes the atmosphere inside the club, apparently, and that's nice, but the Irons have scored 19 goals

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-18485859021009206722007-12-04T23:04:00.000-06:002007-12-04T23:07:31.078-06:00

The Times posted a list of the greatest matches in West Ham history. They are all well before I started watching, although the run-in last season was mentioned by one of the readers who posted a comment.

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-55487187809147846802007-12-04T23:02:00.000-06:002007-12-04T23:15:25.081-06:00

I greatly enjoyed this article/column on Tottenham Hotspur by David Hytner of the Guardian. I watched all three of the Spurs matches covered in it (starting with West Ham at Upton Park, then two matches at White Hart Lane: Aalborg (Denmark) in the UEFA Cup and Birmingham City). Ramos's willingness to make changes and emphasize the strength of Spurs -- its attacking -- is refreshing and probably

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-17981056220135995682007-11-28T21:59:00.000-06:002007-11-29T20:33:21.963-06:00

When the U.S. team in the World Baseball Classic failed to advance past the second round to the semifinals, there was quite a bit of handwringing in America. There was a lot of criticism of overpaid American players not caring enough about the competition. There were questions about why Americans couldn't win at the game we invented. And a few weeks later, no one seemed to care. (A caller to Fox

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-86598178725986324782007-11-28T21:55:00.000-06:002007-11-28T21:58:44.116-06:00

Carlos Tévez was sent off with a straight red card while playing a World Cup qualifier for Argentina last week, and Tim Vickery, the BBC's South America football writer, says that the ensuing suspension could ruin Tévez's place in the Argentina side. Tévez didn't start in Manchester United's Champions League match Tuesday home to Sporting Club de Portugal (generally called Sporting Lisbon, but

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-76326447779054281522007-11-28T21:53:00.000-06:002007-11-28T21:54:56.871-06:00

The Guardian featured American and Fulham forward/midfielder Clint Dempsey over the weekend. I didn't know Dempsey's story before I read this. I like him even more than I already did after reading it.

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-20422214236589378382007-11-28T21:52:00.000-06:002007-11-29T10:03:30.006-06:00

The U.S. Soccer Federation has its annual "best of" vote going right now. Two Chicago bars are in the voting for best soccer bar: Ginger's Ale House and the Globe. I have voted for the Globe a few times already. When I was there Sunday to watch the Tottenham match, they had a flyer on the inside of the men's room door asking for votes. The flyer noted that Ginger's had won the previous four years

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-47047343590125348912007-11-24T12:03:00.000-06:002007-12-03T09:27:12.337-06:00

Even I have to admit that last term's West Ham-Tottenham match was probably the best one that I got to see in 2006-07. I had recorded the match while traveling on business, I heard the result and the details of how heartbreaking the loss was, but I still watched it when I returned, and it didn't fail to compel. Just as I'd happily trade the excitement of beating the drop last term for a nice,

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-3353001161711174862007-11-24T12:01:00.000-06:002007-11-24T12:07:18.231-06:00

While I was at my parents' house for Thanksgiving dinner, I recorded the FA Cup first-round replay between League Two's Stockport County and Staines Town, a member of the Ryman Premier Division, or three levels below League Two. It was a treat near-equal to Mom's turkey dinner to watch the part-timers from Staines Town beat a team from the Football League for the first time in its history on

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-82425904535315493112007-11-24T11:59:00.000-06:002007-11-24T12:01:19.823-06:00

During halftime of the Arsenal-Wigan Athletic match this morning, I saw a commercial for XLtravel.com, one of the sites that is part of West Ham's shirt sponsor XL.com. The commercial is aimed at American youth club teams who may want a football training holiday in England. The commercial depicts a head coach quizzing his players on some of the game's vocabulary differences between America and

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-1399037194343149412007-11-22T23:41:00.000-06:002007-11-23T08:58:38.288-06:00

The long run-up to England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008 gave pundits and fans plenty of chances to opine on why the Three Lions will be at home next summer. Manager Steve McClaren gets the blame from most. Highly paid Premiership stars caught a lot of stick, too. And, just to balance out the self-flagellation, some have criticised the number of foreign players in the Premiership and the

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-37499728387229636442007-11-22T23:38:00.000-06:002007-11-22T23:40:55.134-06:00

I enjoy reading columns by Martin Samuel of The Times, so I was a little disappointed to see him viciously rip the whole idea of MyFootballClub.com. I agree with the skepticism about the ability of members to pick the team, but Samuel writes like a member of the football insiders club who can't stand the idea of admitting anyone else to the club. He sees no possible positives from this concept.

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-3694417030484287042007-11-22T23:37:00.000-06:002007-11-22T23:38:36.828-06:00

Graham Paddon, a member of West Ham's 1975 FA Cup winner, died earlier this week. He was 57. Paddon joined West Ham in December 1973 from Norwich, the club for which he played 290 League matches. Paddon helped keep West Ham up that term. Paddon joined with Billy Bonds and Trevor Brooking in midfield and, eventually, Alan Curbishley, too. Paddon also was a key member of the West Ham team that lost

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-23783238977600837372007-11-22T23:35:00.000-06:002007-11-22T23:36:47.399-06:00

A Crown Court jury needed just 90 minutes to find West Ham centre-half Anton Ferdinand not guilty on several charges related to a fight outside an East London nightclub a year ago. The jury seemingly agreed with Ferdinand's claim that he acted in self-defence, fearing that he was about to be robbed. Another defendant also was cleared.

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-54477897157558841542007-11-16T20:31:00.001-06:002007-11-16T20:31:45.524-06:00

There was something from the Derby County demolition that I forgot to mention. When Nolberto Solano scored on a free kick in the 69th minute, he became the first West Ham player from outside the United Kingdom to score a goal for the Hammers this season. Prior to his beautiful strike, West Ham's goals had been scored by players who are from one of the Home Nations: England (Lee Bowyer, Matthew

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-77332078613280355642007-11-13T23:13:00.000-06:002007-11-13T23:14:27.445-06:00

MyFootballClub.com says they have agreed a deal to buy a team: Ebbsfleet United. The club is in the Blue Square Premier League, one step below the Football League. The team, formerly known as Gravesend and Northfleet, sit ninth, six points out of a promotion playoff spot. The board and management will remain in place after MyFootballClub complete the purchase of a 51% interest in the club.I think

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-16875923012467590752007-11-12T23:16:00.000-06:002007-11-16T13:00:16.611-06:00

Lee Bowyer is not the player he was when he was part of a Leeds United side that reached the semi-finals of the Champions League, but then, Derby County's back four won't remind anyone of a side capable of such heights, either.Bowyer scored two in a 5-0 rout that left Derby bottom of the table and inched West Ham into the top half at 18 points, ahead of Newcastle United on goal differential. The

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-8555615266726702222007-11-12T23:14:00.000-06:002007-11-12T23:16:01.717-06:00

I think it's easy to forget that, while clubs compete fiercely with each other, there are many opportunities for them to be business partners, too. The Telegraph wrote last week that Tottenham Hotspur has approached West Ham about a ground-sharing arrangement for a couple of years while White Hart Lane is expanded. The funds that West Ham would earn from the arrangement, the Telegraph reports,

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-82085368059707104582007-11-12T23:11:00.000-06:002007-11-12T23:14:09.359-06:00

West Ham defender Anton Ferdinand is defending something besides his net this week: Ferdinand is standing trial on charges of assault and affray connected to an incident outside a nightclub in October 2006. Ferdinand claims that he acted in self-defense as he feared that his pricey watch, worth £64,000, would be stolen. Lee Bowyer stood trial on similar charges when he was at Leeds United. One of

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-1077301307852650892007-11-12T23:10:00.000-06:002007-11-12T23:24:11.285-06:00

I've been keeping track of developments at Queens Park Rangers, because my friend James is a lifelong supporter of the Rs. Financial salvation has come to Loftus Road in the form of an investor group led by the owners of the Renault Formula One team. In addition to promising new funds for players, the new owners have brought in an Italian manager, Luigi De Canio (the first time I saw his name, I

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-47272263920826962512007-11-05T23:25:00.000-06:002007-11-05T23:26:13.056-06:00

I'm glad that West Ham-Bolton was on Fox Soccer Channel and that I have a DVR, because I would have been even more ticked off than I was if I had had to drag myself out of bed early on a Sunday morning to watch that game. For the first time this season, West Ham gave away points that they were about to book, with a stoppage time goal leading to a 1-1 draw with a team sitting 19th on the table.

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-53273717328099405602007-11-05T23:23:00.000-06:002007-11-05T23:24:28.024-06:00

West Ham's Premiership battle against Everton will come just a few days after they host the Toffees in the League Cup quarterfinals. The draw for the Carling Cup was Saturday. Playing Everton, who have UEFA Cup duties during the week of Dec. 17, necessitated the match being played a week earlier than the other quarterfinal ties. Of course, either way, the Toffees would be West Ham's opponent for

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-71258266544819004932007-11-01T20:30:00.000-06:002007-11-02T16:44:16.325-06:00

There were more stories in Thursday's papers about Carlton Cole finally realizing his potential as a striker in the Premiership. When I think of the pressure of having one's potential broadcast at a young age, I always think of two baseball players: Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry. They were young, superstar teammates with the New York Mets in the mid-1980s. Drugs and alcohol derailed their

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-28931388571571012282007-11-01T20:27:00.000-06:002007-11-01T20:29:56.846-06:00

I never noticed that Jamie Trecker, the senior soccer writer (that's his title -- don't blame me for using soccer instead of football) for Fox Sports, is based in Chicago. The free weekly Chicago Reader did notice, however, and their fall book special contains a story about Trecker's new book, Love and Blood: At the World Cup With the Footballers, Fans, and Freaks. The story describes Trecker's

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-56541697017896422922007-10-31T21:55:00.000-06:002007-11-01T20:50:45.600-06:00

By all accounts, Coventry City outplayed West Ham Tuesday in the fourth round of the Carling Cup, but a stoppage time goal by Carlton Cole saw the Hammers win 2-1, pushing the team to the quarterfinals for the first time since 1999-2000. After Wednesday's action, the League Cup's final eight is now set. All eight are Premiership sides, not surprisingly.I listened to the BBC Radio broadcast of the

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-31521893547965810872007-10-28T23:08:00.000-06:002007-11-01T20:36:43.473-06:00

West Ham's game away to Portsmouth did not have the amazing goals that typified some of the other games this week. I am watching the Premier League review show as I type this. I just saw the goal that Carlos Tévez scored on a 1-2 with Wayne Rooney -- Tévez lofted a ball to Rooney into the box, who controlled and then gave it back to Tévez with a back heel. There were none of those brilliant

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-12992458233271129052007-09-18T23:13:00.001-05:002007-09-18T23:13:58.535-05:00

Less than a year after taking control of the club, Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson is beefing up the management at West Ham to provide the structure needed to take on the challenge of building a new, larger ground for the club. That project is considered key to making good on Gudmundsson's goal of regular European football for West Ham. The changes include Eggert Magnusson relinquishing his executive

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-25254652577780883012007-09-18T23:12:00.000-05:002007-09-19T09:44:56.844-05:00

The Irish Football Association fined West Ham defender George McCartney and Sheffield United winger Kevin Gillespie undisclosed amounts for their fracas last week. The Northern Ireland teammates tussled just before the flight carrying their side home from a Euro 2008 qualifier in Iceland took off for London. The fines will be donated to charity.

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-84315194418940488652007-09-17T23:32:00.000-05:002007-11-01T20:36:43.473-06:00

It was frustrating to watch the closing minutes of Arsenal's second-half destruction of Tottenham on Saturday knowing that West Ham and Middlesborough had already kicked off. The Gunners were well on their way to a 3-1 victory at White Hart Lane, but Fox Soccer Channel was committed to showing the entire match and then switching to the Hammers-'Boro clash. It was even more frustrating watching

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-35020660379917055972007-09-17T23:28:00.000-05:002007-09-17T23:31:27.749-05:00

Derby County won their first league match this term with a 1-0 victory Monday over West Ham's next opponent, Newcastle United, at Pride Park. New signing Kenny Miller struck from well outside the penalty area in the 39th minute to account for the scoring. The BBC recap indicated that Newcastle could have been rewarded two penalties in the match, but added that Derby County in general had the

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-51339881700349220192007-09-13T23:29:00.000-05:002007-09-13T23:34:34.966-05:00

West Ham defender George McCartney just wants to fit in, I guess. While on international duty this week with Northern Ireland, McCartney added to his club's burgeoning reputation as Bad Boys Inc., as the Guardian's The Fiver football email calls the Hammers. McCartney and winger Keith Gillespie tussled on the team's flight back from Iceland after the Northern Ireland side lost 2-1 to Iceland on

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-69130450325631007562007-09-12T22:58:00.000-05:002007-09-12T23:00:21.043-05:00

West Ham striker Craig Bellamy missed Saturday's Euro 2008 qualifier for Wales against Germany, as his wife and baby daughter remained in the hospital after the little girl's recent birth. The fairer Bellamys left the hospital in time for Craiggers to score twice and help force an own goal by Slovakia in a 5-2 Wales victory in Trnava, Slovakia, Wednesday night. Wales manager John Toshack called

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-85715032187580778842007-09-06T23:21:00.000-05:002007-09-07T10:12:14.955-05:00

I will be glad when this week of international play is done and even more glad when West Ham take the field at the Boleyn Ground against Middlesborough. I understand that England have underachieved and are in danger of missing out on the finals of Euro 2008. But I've had enough of the complaining about the team's performance in the national newspapers. I can see why England had to go to "

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-24344621771478824182007-09-06T23:19:00.002-05:002007-11-01T20:36:43.473-06:00

I don't have much that I can say about Saturday's 3-0 win away to Reading, except that I wish I had been able to watch it. TMG and I were in St. Louis for the Illinois-Missouri (American) football game that day. I thought that I had a bar lined up to watch the match, but there was some confusion about what hour the bar would open on Saturday. Their website said 10 a.m. -- or shortly after

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-75920241759500545552007-09-06T23:19:00.001-05:002007-09-07T10:12:03.237-05:00

The Observer won the first interview with an English newspaper for Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson, the man who owns 95% of West Ham United plc. Eggert Magnusson is the public face, but Gudmundsson has the deep pockets. Gudmundsson and Magnusson came together after Magnusson left the UEFA board and let it be known that he was interested in keeping his hand in football. The article details some interesting

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-17462356895878354452007-09-06T23:17:00.000-05:002007-09-07T10:18:05.341-05:00

The Independent had a fine story at the outset of the summer transfer window about the anxiety that many players face when they are out of contract and looking for a new club. Earlier this week, the paper followed-up with Rhys Weston and found his destination: Walsall, a Midlands club that won promotion straight back to League One last season.

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-39475258471396327052007-09-06T23:16:00.000-05:002007-09-06T23:17:35.615-05:00

This is old now, but I still want to point it out. Yossi Benayoun's agent said the midfielder is disappointed that he is not featuring more for Liverpool and that he may have to switch to a "medium-sized team" if the situation doesn't change. Oh, really?Everyone is aware that Liverpool have a huge squad and rotate a lot of players other than the stalwarts such as Steven Gerrard and, new this

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-15369385136399099462007-08-29T22:51:00.000-05:002007-08-29T23:13:51.786-05:00

OK, I got a little too excited yesterday about Adriano. He's not coming to West Ham. Adriano favors a move to Lazio, which made the group stages of the Champions League, and doesn't want to leave Italy. This is where these transfers all get tricky for West Ham. To reach European football, West Ham have to improve their team, but, at least in the transfer market, to improve their team, West Ham

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-56147175228495971472007-08-28T23:06:00.000-05:002007-08-28T23:11:16.613-05:00

A cup run is an admirable goal for a side like West Ham. Looking to consolidate their relegation escape by moving into mid-table this season, a good run in either the FA Cup or the Carling Cup would give supporters something to make them believe that West Ham are headed for bigger and better things eventually. The Hammers' first step in the Carling Cup brought a 2-1 win away to Bristol Rovers,

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-42209379887934449072007-08-28T23:04:00.000-05:002007-08-28T23:06:38.247-05:00

Brazilian striker Adriano has been linked to a move to West Ham from Inter Milan. The Independent reports that a £15 million transfer fee is close to being agreed. Adriano wants a permanent move if he's going anywhere, not a loan deal, as Manchester City was interested in. The Guardian is still reporting that Inter and West Ham are discussing a loan deal. The club statement on Adriano

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-65171201401894106232007-08-28T22:58:00.000-05:002007-11-01T20:36:43.474-06:00

I finally got to watch West Ham's 1-1 draw home to Wigan Athletic on Monday night. I went to the Globe Saturday morning, but was soon informed that West Ham-Wigan was the one fixture that morning that wasn't available on satellite. I stuck around for a little over an hour, and then I left to meet TMG and her friend for brunch.Frustrated that I had gotten up early on a Saturday and not seen my

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-13802074354832747662007-08-20T23:53:00.000-05:002007-08-23T13:12:44.117-05:00

Lee Bowyer and Luis Boa Morte were kept off the field. Alan Curbishley managed to keep out of his team's way. And Mark Noble ranged all over the pitch at St. Andrew's and buried a penalty shot, as West Ham left Birmingham with its first points of the seaon in a 1-0 win.Bowyer and Boa Morte sat in favor of the players who came on at halftime of the Manchester City loss, Hayden Mullins and Matthew

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-1327826636219122622007-08-20T23:50:00.000-05:002007-08-20T23:52:14.952-05:00

With striker Valeri Bojinov out till February, at least, with a knee injury, Manchester City is interested in Bolton striker Nicolas Anelka. West Ham have had some interest in Anelka as well. I'd love to see him splitting time with Craig Bellamy and Dean Ashton and squeezing out the playing time of Bobby Zamora, who didn't play well in either match. Zamora still has his uses, but it would be a

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-9767355433862172752007-08-20T23:46:00.000-05:002007-08-20T23:50:42.556-05:00

I meant to write about this when it was announced a few weeks ago, but it slipped my mind. West Ham have formed a partnership with United Soccer Leagues, which includes the second and third divisions of men's professional soccer in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean and also young adult and youth soccer. The parternship starts with some coaching and training initiatives and eventually envisions a

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-18889943603708928382007-08-20T23:41:00.000-05:002007-08-21T14:38:17.195-05:00

A reader pointed this out to me: Pitchinvasion.net is starting a historical series on famous pitch invasions with a look at the 1923 FA Cup final, which featured West Ham. The Irons took on Bolton and lost 2-0 in that first Cup final at Empire Stadium, later to be known as Wembley Stadium. It's an interesting read.

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-68392736178747134792007-08-17T18:36:00.001-05:002007-08-17T20:03:32.323-05:00

West Ham has drawn Bristol Rovers from League One in the second round of the Carling Cup. The match will be played in Bristol during the week of Aug. 27. Depending on the day, I may be able to sneak away from work to watch this match, assuming that it is a mid-week clash. The Elephant & Castle bar near my office advertises that they air Premiership games, so perhaps they will show this match, too

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-27047254342671672832007-08-16T23:39:00.000-05:002007-08-17T18:23:26.638-05:00

Sheffield United has brought another case against West Ham, this time seeking monetary damages of up to £50 million. Sheffield United alleges that West Ham's current ownership misrepresented their "clean hands" before the Premier League panel that reviewed the Carlos Tévez case. The Yorkshire club also contend that West Ham's actions regarding Tévez's transfer to Manchester United this summer

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-92019012198267699982007-08-16T23:38:00.000-05:002007-08-16T23:39:09.410-05:00

Kieron Dyer posed for pictures at Upton Park yesterday holding up a Hammers shirt. Dyer said that he and midfielder Lee Bowyer get along fine now, and that their April 2005 on-field fight in a game against Aston Villa was a one-time deal that has been smothed over.

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-59867021759335449012007-08-16T23:36:00.000-05:002007-08-16T23:37:51.277-05:00

A record 741 teams have entered the FA Cup, which begins with 171 ties this weekend. I think the open nature of the FA Cup is one of the coolest things about English football. It's the oldest Cup competition in the world, not surprisingly, and this is the 127th edition.

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-53567605210990464082007-08-15T22:19:00.000-05:002007-08-15T22:28:11.744-05:00

Birmingham City has gotten their first match back in the Premiership and their first home match back before West Ham travel to St. Andrews to meet them on Saturday. I think that is an advantage for West Ham, as I imagine that newly promoted teams are really hyped up for those two games. Birmingham appeared to be on their way to victory Wednesday night against Sunderland till Stern John equalized

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-91854619569293718442007-08-14T23:31:00.000-05:002007-08-14T23:35:57.332-05:00

The Telegraph seems to be the only paper reporting in Wednesday's editions that West Ham and Newcastle are taking another stab granting Kieron Dyer's wish for a transfer out of Tyneside to be closer to his children. The Telegraph said that the initial fee for the 28-year-old would be £6 million, with up to £1 million more contingent on Dyer's appearances. The article notes that previous reports

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-11331673138567939252007-08-14T23:26:00.000-05:002007-08-14T23:30:59.502-05:00

I don't know there is a group like America's National Organization for Women in the United Kingdom, but if there is, I feel certain that Roy Keane won't be invited to speak at their next conference.The Sunderland manager and former Manchester United star ripped into some "soft" players who let their wives or girlfriends dictate where they play based on the shopping. Keane, it seems, was venting

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-22591548523926967422007-08-11T15:26:00.000-05:002007-11-01T20:37:10.698-06:00

Scott Parker can't make his Hammers debut soon enough. West Ham were outclassed in the midfield, particularly when Lee Bowyer played, in their Premier League opener, losing 0-2 to Manchester City at Upton Park.Elano, a Brazilian midfielder that City signed in the close season, ran roughshod through the midfield on a counterattack to set up the first City goal, in the 18th minute. Luis Boa Morte,

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-86309550088263657952007-08-09T22:15:00.000-05:002007-09-07T10:12:03.238-05:00

West Ham Chairman Eggert Magnusson has certainly been chatty this week. It started with this interview in the Guardian in Tuesday's paper. Magnusson spoke about the damage that the Carlos Tévez affair did to the reputation of West Ham and how the Argentinian himself was damaged, through no fault of his own. Magnusson ripped Newcastle for agreeing a £6 million fee for midfielder Kieron Dyer and

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-78741302730278247162007-08-09T22:06:00.000-05:002007-08-14T21:33:31.521-05:00

The Independent reports that West Ham and Barcelona have agreed a £6.8 million transfer fee for Eidur Gudjohnsen, but it is up to the Icelandic striker to decide if he wants to move to Upton Park. If a deal doesn't get done during the close season, the Irons would consider it during the January transfer window, the Independent said. West Ham, Manchester City and Bolton are all interested in Reál

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-46385097471551591482007-08-09T00:06:00.000-05:002007-08-14T21:33:31.521-05:00

Premier League rules are tightening in response to the uproar over Carlos Tévez. Clubs will be required to provide all documentation to the league regarding transfers and ownerhship. Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore acknowledged that third-party ownership can't be completely stamped out, but the issue also will be taken on eventually. Clubs also will be limited to loaning out only

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-9396641821455012262007-08-02T23:42:00.000-05:002007-08-14T21:33:31.522-05:00

West Ham and the companies owned by Kia Joorabchian are poised to settle the Carlos Tévez affair once and for all Friday, although the £2 million pound settlement could fuel a further challenge from Sheffield United.The deal would send the cash to West Ham in return for the Irons dissolving their registration of Tévez. Joorabchian also would agree to end his suit in the High Court against West

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-79832308346611533342007-07-31T22:36:00.000-05:002007-08-14T21:33:31.522-05:00

I know a fair number of lawyers, and most of them seem to have made a disparaging comment at one time or another about the contracts class that they took in law school. I'm starting to understand why.The latest development in the Carlos Tévez transfer situation regards an amended contract that West Ham offered after Eggert Magnusson's takeover of the club. Kia Joorabchian's lawyers claimed during

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-91484858806115776152007-07-26T23:29:00.000-05:002007-08-14T21:33:31.522-05:00

Sorry again that it's been so long since I last wrote here. A million things seemed to have happened over the last two weeks, so I won't waste too much time on my absence. I've been busy at work and had a quick trip to Wisconsin with friends. But I've been reading and watching the news on the Irons. So here goes.Midfielder Kieron Dyer is the latest high-wage player linked in a move to West Ham.

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-3651543363742669362007-07-26T23:24:00.000-05:002007-08-01T17:32:55.771-05:00

Kia Joorabchian's firms, MSI and Just Sports Inc., began High Court proceedings against West Ham over the ownership of Carlos Tévez and his proposed transfer to Manchester United. I don't see any other way that this could have played out, frankly. West Ham were forced by the Premier League, after the independent panel's ruling in April, to tear up its contract with MSI and Just Sports for Tévez

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-4257972191236433202007-07-12T23:25:00.000-05:002007-07-12T23:27:19.704-05:00

The latest developments in the Carlos Tévez situation include an arrest warrant issued in Brazil for Kia Joorabchian and conflicting statements from Tévez's people and Manchester United on whether the Argentinian will be in Manchester on Tuesday for a physical. The reports on Joorabchian indicate that the Brazilian authorities have been investigating whether Joorabchian's MSI has been using its

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-66403116551810999172007-07-10T23:33:00.000-05:002007-08-14T21:33:31.522-05:00

West Ham, Manchester United and Kia Joorabchian are all lined up on one side against the Premier League over the attempted transfer of Carlos Tévez to Old Trafford. The Premiership are contending that West Ham must not only negotiate the transfer, but also keep most or all of the money from it, because the club canceled its contract with Joorabchian. This Guardian story explains that West Ham

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-55268988630111835942007-07-10T23:31:00.000-05:002007-08-14T21:33:31.523-05:00

Yossi Benayoun followed Nigel Reo-Coker out the door, as Liverpool completed their £5 million purchase of the Israeli international captain. (The Telegraph, however, reported that the transfer fee was £4 million.) Those two midfielders have been replaced by West Ham's purchase of Scott Parker from Newcastle and Julien Faubert from Bordeaux in the French top flight.Benayoun, as I've mentioned

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-70248274468003252302007-07-09T22:57:00.000-05:002007-07-12T23:28:03.377-05:00

As I was typing this, I saw highlights of Argentina's 4-0 win over Perú in the Copa América, and it made me sad. Carlos Tévez, wearing No. 11 for Argentina, was all over the highlights, even though he didn't score a goal himself. He set up one and he narrowly missed scoring a pair of his own. One was on a diving header; it was amazing that he even got to the ball. The other shot, which hit the

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-24699808761173098722007-07-09T22:53:00.000-05:002007-07-09T22:56:07.029-05:00

OK, I had no intention of not writing here for more than two weeks. But after watching the Gold Cup semifinals, I had a short weekend before leaving on a business trip on that Sunday, during the finals (U.S. 2, México1). That trip took me on three flights and an unplanned, eight-hour drive from Nashville to Chicago (flight No. 4 was canceled). In the interval, I received my first-ever West Ham

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-33378590893399189122007-06-20T20:02:00.000-05:002007-06-20T20:03:45.708-05:00

I'm going to attend Thursday's semifinal doubleheader in the CONCACAF Gold Cup at Soldier Field, but it doesn't look like I'll see West Ham defender Jonathan Spector. The Chicago Tribune's Luis Arrovaye, who interviewed Spector this week, reports on his blog, Red Card, that Frankie Hejduk is likely to remain in the starting XI.These will be my first international football matches. I'm definitely

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-36443763341645980502007-06-14T23:34:00.000-05:002007-08-14T21:33:31.523-05:00

West Ham offered to show Darren Bent the money, and Bent said "Don't bother." Bent is leaving £20,000 or more per week on the table in turning down the Irons. West Ham are offering £75,000 pounds a week, and reports indicate that Bent's preferred destinations -- Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur -- won't pay more than £55,000 a week. Of course, Bent earned £30,000 a week last season, so either way,

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-5606838508135514352007-06-14T07:51:00.000-05:002007-06-14T07:55:38.568-05:00

West Ham will open the 2007-08 Premiership season by hosting Manchester City at Upton Park on 11 August. Just two weeks later, the Irons will host Wigan Athletic in an early grudge match over the Carlos Tévez affair. The Premiership announced the fixture list this morning.West Ham's fixture list perhaps indicates that a strong start will be needed to avoid the problems of last season. In between

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-11695068198136915522007-06-10T23:45:00.000-05:002007-08-14T21:33:31.523-05:00

Manchester United and Internazionale are among the many suitors of Carlos Tévez, news reports say. Inter supposedly will bid as much as £34 million. The story did not include any response from West Ham, although the Guardian did report how much West Ham manager Alan Curbishley wants to keep Tévez. No surprise there. The Telegraph interviewed Curbishley about the club's plans for the summer

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-43758620207018382242007-06-10T23:44:00.000-05:002007-08-09T22:14:40.035-05:00

Mark Noble had to cancel a holiday in Mexico in order to play on the England U-21 team in the UEFA U-21 Championships. Jonathan Spector played for the U.S. men's national team Saturday against Trinidad & Tobago in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Spector had some good play with midfielder Justin Mapp on the left side of the U.S. squad. Spector led Mapp nicely with a pass up the touchline that led to the

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-53006191277583968332007-06-10T23:40:00.000-05:002007-08-09T22:14:55.334-05:00

The Premier League is lining up other sports leagues for a legal attack on YouTube. The Prem and its fellows contend that YouTube is bound by copyright laws to use its technology to filter out content that infringes the copyright of others. YouTube has contended in suits like these that all it is required to do is take down any content that a copyright holder alerts it to.I won't get into the

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-8928709455445116882007-06-06T23:22:00.000-05:002007-08-09T22:15:16.444-05:00

I've written all about my trip to Fiddler's Elbow in Venice to watch the May 5 match between the Irons and Bolton, but now I can share some of the photos that I took that warm, sunny day. The 3-1 result in favor of the Hammers was even better than the beautiful weather and the cold pints of Guinness that I drank.As I mentioned when I first wrote about this trip, I decided to bring a little friend

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-53819510178451290852007-06-06T23:20:00.000-05:002007-08-14T21:33:31.524-05:00

Scott Parker completed his move from Tyneside to the East End as the midfielder agreed to a five-year contract. West Ham paid Newcastle United £7 million to grease the skids, but it seems like they will recoup that midfield investment in selling Nigel Reo-Coker to Aston Villa. There had been some talk in the last couple of days that Parker was delaying his agreement with the Hammers because he

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-87691176401637260682007-06-06T23:18:00.000-05:002007-06-06T23:20:01.769-05:00

The Independent has a fine story about the other side of the summer transfer window -- the players who aren't doubling their salaries, but are just hoping to land a new job. It's not the most original story. I've read the baseball equivalent probably every winter for the last decade or more. It's still an interesting tale well told.(Music to write by: Modest Mouse, "We Were Dead Before the Ship

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-66104220596970048422007-06-05T23:24:00.000-05:002007-06-05T23:25:37.836-05:00

West Ham has launched a new online store in anticipation of the new kits. The home kit will be available starting June 16.The new site looks a lot friendlier for fans from outside the UK to use. Users can choose to view prices in British pounds, Euros or U.S. dollars. The overseas shipping options are a new feature. If I recall correctly, I couldn't order anything to a U.S. address with the old

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-52143193887451285492007-06-04T00:08:00.000-05:002007-08-14T21:33:31.524-05:00

Everton striker Andrew Johnson is the latest striker linked to West Ham, this time by the Daily Mail. The article says that manager Alan Curbishley is resigned to losing Carlos Tévez, but offers no sourcing on that, nor, actually, on much of anything else in the article. I haven't been following these reporters long enough to know whether to play any faith in this particular one. The Independent

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-14838540298511585162007-06-04T00:04:00.000-05:002007-06-05T23:26:07.621-05:00

After Yossi Benayoun signed his new five-year contract, I tooled around online looking for a Benayoun shirt to buy. I thought that, even if I couldn't actually order one to my address from the club shop or one of the other online retailers, I could have the Marquette Grad's sister order it for me to her London flat and then have her ship it to me. That wouldn't be the most efficient way to get a

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-74927185142460777882007-06-01T00:05:00.000-05:002007-06-01T00:23:30.426-05:00

While we were dodging raindrops in Verona, I took these pictures that symbolize the football pools in Italy, known as Totocalcio. I could have taken pictures like these at many locations throughout the trip. This particular sign was probably the biggest one that I saw. Most of the time, I saw stickers with the same lettering (including the initials "C.O.N.I.," which come from the Italian National

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-83986022995596228362007-05-27T12:36:00.000-05:002007-08-14T21:34:16.309-05:00

The Guardian reports that Carlos Tévez wants to leave West Ham because he is at odds with manager Alan Curbishley. Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool are all mentioned as possible suitors, although Tévez is sure to draw offers from the big clubs in Italy and Spain and elsewhere in Europe.The story reports that Tévez is still angry about the way Curbishley treated him when Curbishley joined

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-9988480256597258822007-05-27T12:34:00.000-05:002007-05-27T12:40:00.832-05:00

Verona, Italy, is known for the story of Romeo and Juliet, as popularized by William Shakespeare. When my family and I visited Verona on our recent trip to Italy, we were taken to see Juliet's balcony, or at least that's what they say it is. I found a football shop nearby a lot more interesting. It was less crowded, too. I bought us a couple of umbrellas at the shop, as it was pouring in Verona

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-32674812561134776302007-05-27T12:33:00.000-05:002007-05-27T12:34:40.496-05:00

I have been getting a kick out of the Guardian's cheeky football column known as the Fiver. I just signed up Friday to receive it via email. The Friday edition featured a reader letter that cracked me up:"So Kaká belongs to Jesus, does he (Kaká's T-shirt, [at the] Big Cup final)? I wonder what [Wigan chairman] Dave Whelan thinks about that particular third party loan arrangement?" - Ross

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-65681004594735845812007-05-27T12:32:00.001-05:002007-05-27T12:44:06.136-05:00

As TMG pointed out to me, West Ham defender Jonathan Spector has been named to the U.S. team for the CONCACAF Gold Cup next month. The 12-team competition, held in odd-numbered years, will be played at stadiums throughout the U.S. and will conclude with semifinals on June 21 and finals on June 24 at Soldier Field in Chicago.(Music to write by: Drive-By Truckers, "Decoration Day.")

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-3594215966179677562007-05-24T23:57:00.000-05:002007-05-24T23:58:45.110-05:00

The Premier League has agreed to the request by Sheffield United to establish an arbitration panel to review the ruling in the Carlos Tévez-Javier Mascherano case, but the league is also working on a fixture list that doesn't include the Blades, the Independent reported:Sheffield United will pursue their claim that an independent commission should have deducted points from West Ham and that the

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-64444973649021241842007-05-24T23:56:00.001-05:002007-05-25T00:00:17.999-05:00

I'm very late in getting to this, so I'm very glad that it's still available. The Independent's Neil Clack filed a wonderful story on the Buenos Aires neighborhood that Carlos Tévez grew up in. The story offers a glimpse of where Tévez came from and impressions of those who knew him as a boy and saw him grow into an acclaimed footballer. Perhaps the story gives us a little insight into how Tévez

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-59198379487368394332007-05-24T23:54:00.001-05:002007-08-14T21:34:16.310-05:00

I read about this a couple of days ago, but I can't find the story, so this one will have to do. Midfielder Yossi Benayoun is reportedly likely to stay in the fold at Upton Park, as the club and the Israeli international captain have patched things up. Nothing like a substantial raise (on the order of 67%) and safety from relegation to change a player's mind. I've seen conflicting reports on the

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-24134241776773987212007-05-24T23:47:00.000-05:002007-05-25T00:00:52.390-05:00

Wednesday night, I wanted to watch my recording of the UEFA Champions League final between Liverpool and AC Milan. The problem was that I was scheduled to play volleyball with my friends. Not that I wasn't enthusiastic about the start of our little coed league playoffs, because I was, but I was worried that I would learn the result before getting a chance to watch it if I didn't watch it

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-16083217032571571902007-05-18T19:51:00.001-05:002007-05-18T19:59:38.786-05:00

I am very late in getting to say this, but, can you believe it? Can you believe it? Sunday's magnificent 1-0 victory over Manchester United and the completion of West Ham's stunning run to safety leave me, even five days later, in disbelief.West Ham's game was the featured live game on Fox Soccer Channel Sunday morning. I was glad for that, as going to the Globe at 8:30 a.m. on Mother's Day

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-40084703712133221222007-05-18T19:47:00.000-05:002007-05-18T19:59:12.432-05:00

Some of the stories this week talk of a "furor" that will result if West Ham pocket a large windfall for selling Carlos Tévez to another European club during the summer transfer window. First, of course, I hope that the Hammers find a way to keep Tévez. I don't know if that will be possible from a fiscal standpoint, but it would be wonderful to keep the hero of the Great Escape in Upton Park and,

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-24618160359234393452007-05-18T19:44:00.000-05:002007-08-14T21:35:37.157-05:00

Yossi Benayoun and West Ham management were scheduled to meet this week, at the midfielder's request. Benayoun and manager Alan Curbishley clashed this spring, especially after Benayoun played for the Israeli national team in March when his health was questionable. Benayoun is expected to ask for a transfer.I would like Benayoun and Curbishley to overcome their differences. It's not fair. I don't

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-21508237512895869162007-05-08T03:57:00.000-05:002007-05-08T04:00:03.334-05:00

My friend Jim, who runs the Sox Machine portal that my baseball blog was part of, briefly, sent me a link to the fan site West Ham Online where they discussed my post on visiting Upton Park (written for Exile in Wrigleyville, but largely replicated at this site). Most seem happy to have another Irons fan on board. Some have to bolster their online reputations by being critical. One noted that "

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-75559974857017746052007-05-06T15:23:00.000-05:002007-05-13T23:44:18.802-05:00

If you've never been to Venice, it's difficult to understand just how confusing it is to walk around the floating city. Venezia's narrow streets -- home to pedestrians only -- are mostly straight, actually, but they seem to meet at every angle but the 90 degree ones that a Chicagoan like me is so used to. Walking from our hotel just off St. Mark's Square to Fiddler's Elbow in the Cannaregio

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-58540861977972879702007-05-06T15:21:00.000-05:002007-05-06T15:30:37.085-05:00

The Marquette Grad put together a very thoughtful travel kit for my trip to Italy. It included all sorts of practical items, such as ibuprofen, a sewing kit (not that I know how to sew) and dental swabs that can be used after a long flight to approximate a quick brushing. There was one piece in the kit that, I must acknowledge, struck me as very odd at first. It was a Traveling Gnome. The little

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4933822515881671137.post-23219168938139344622007-05-05T06:36:00.000-05:002007-05-06T15:30:03.881-05:00

I have been in Italy all week on a trip with my family. Had I been at home, I would have had more to say about the decision in the Tévez-Mascherano affair. Other clubs threatened with relegation are threatening to take legal action to try to force the FA to hit West Ham with a points deduction. Sheffield United and Wigan Athletic have been the most vocal. One letter writer to the Times suggested

VGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14927482247662786333noreply@blogger.com0