As not everyone uses the forums over there, I figured I’d share here too….assuming they are real (they certainly look it), Macron have more than exceeded my expectations with these two kits. First time in a long while I can say I’ve been delighted with both shirts for a season

Update: Of course, the new kit has now officially been launched…..for pre-order. Get it from the official site

IRRRONS!

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So how do you rate the signings so far and what do you think of the names we’ve been linked with? Rate them below.

10 = you are delighted with, or would be delighted with

Signings so far:

Strong Rumours:

Others

Your Suggestions
(obviously these have been added later, so the vote count won’t be as high as the others above)

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The Jewish Chronicle who originally published the story about Ben Haim failing a medical has now retracted that report, saying that he did in fact “pass the tests at Upton Park. However, any possible deal remains incomplete as Ben Haim has yet to sign a contract due to the player and club failing to agree a salary” [sic]

I apologies for misleading you all.

(for the “player and the club failing to agree a salary”, read: “Ben Haim wants more money because he thinks he’s the dogs. And that he thinks he’s better than £30k a week. Because, frankly, that’s no money at all. Really.” – this player is trouble.)

And, as a friend of mind just mentioned, did we all really believe players could actually fail medicals at West Ham now?

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“The Israel defender looked set to be reunited with manager Avram Grant, whom he worked under at Portsmouth, but it is believed that a groin injury that kept him out for two months towards the end of the season has not fully recovered.”

I’m not sure what all your thoughts are on Ben Haim, would be interested to hear – but I see it as a saving of £30k per week on a fairly average player. Of course, if people do leave then we’ll need to replace – but so far I’ve not seen many people leave…

For what it’s worth, these are Ben Haim’s comments about Avram Grant when he was at Chelsea (2008):

“If I knew Avram Grant was going to be the coach I would have signed for another club. It was Jose who brought me here and no one except he and I know the conversation we had when he tried to sign me the first time a year ago last January. The fact is while Jose was the coach I played most of the games and people who know me know that I would not have come here to be a reserve. I knew nothing good would come for me with Grant as Chelsea coach.”

Oh.

Update: Turns out the Jewish Chronicle were basically just making stories up. I apologise. Here’s an updated post

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“If Manchester City pay Aston Villa £50m for James Milner then Aston Villa have that £50m and are going to want to replace Milner.”

Are we to read from those from David Gold quotes that Parker  actually is available, despite SuGo quite clearly stating that he wasn’t for sale?

That, quite naturally, leads us onto the subject of potatoes and the following story about Frederick the Great of Prussia….

Incidentally this change of tune also comes after the deadline date for season ticket renewals. Strange.

“Frederick the Great of Prussia saw the potato’s potential to help feed his nation and lower the price of bread, but faced the challenge of overcoming the people’s prejudice against the plant. When he issued a 1774 order for his subjects to grow potatoes as protection against famine, the town of Kolberg replied: “The things have neither smell nor taste, not even the dogs will eat them, so what use are they to us?” Trying a less direct approach to encourage his subjects to begin planting potatoes, Frederick used a bit of reverse psychology: he planted a royal field of potato plants and stationed a heavy guard to protect this field from thieves. Nearby peasants naturally assumed that anything worth guarding was worth stealing, and so snuck into the field and snatched the plants for their home gardens. Of course, this was entirely in line with Frederick’s wishes.”

(for all your potato based historical desires, check out this site)

My point is this, by categorically saying that Parker is not for sale you will only serve to increase interest in him. Now some people are actively expressing interest, and money, SuGo are changing their tune a little. Is this exactly what SuGo wanted or would it be silly to suggest so?

Incidentally this change of tune also comes after the deadline date for season ticket renewals. Strange.

The flip side of the potato story is that if we actually wanted to sell the rest of the side (who were “up for sale”) then maybe a more suitable approach would have been to have said we’re “negotiating new contracts with them”…because I don’t know if it’s slipped anyone’s attention but there’s hardly been a wholesale shakeup that we were lead to believe there would be.

There’s every chance that we’re reading too much into this but if Villa want Parker enough then I’m sure we will end up selling him. I can’t imagine this will leave a great impression on us as fans – being lied to again, that is. Tread carefully.

I want to finish positively though. The new kit is quality and if the deals for Barreara and Remy go through then they would both be shrewd bits of business.

It remains to be seen.

COYI

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Sullivan and Gold have claimed that they will pay attention to what the fans want a little more, yet it would seem that it will only be on the more pressing matters…like who our next mascot should be. I’m so pleased we had a say in that. Despite this claim to be real-fans and wanting to consider our opinions more, they press full-steam ahead into getting us into the Olympic Stadium and have now scrapped the Bobby Moore Cup, both decisions made without actually taking into account our point of view.

I wonder how many fans were consulted when they decided to introduce a new category of match next year, the AA. Which will set fans back a huge £69 a ticket.

I suppose they have given us the opportunity to have our say by inviting us to sit with one of them during a game, but of course that will cost you a mere £100+

Bobby Moore is arguably the greatest English player to have lived, and undoubtedly the greatest to pull on the claret and blue…yet SuGo have opted for greed ahead of generosity, and failing again to really understand what us real fans really want and importantly, what really matters.

Visit the Bobby Moore Fund website for more details as to how you can support them.

(I’m also thinking of maybe organising our own Bobby Moore Cup – all proceeds to the fund. If enough people say they’re up for it then I’ll go ahead and get it sorted)

Sam

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Stephanie Moore does a fantastic job at raising awareness of bowel cancer for the Bobby Moore Fund.

We place Bobby Moore Fund logos on all our kid’s shirts in attempt to raise even more awareness, and there are hoardings around the Boleyn doing just the same.

West Ham have named the most ‘prestigious’ of our pre-season friendlies the ‘Bobby Moore Cup’, with a percentage of proceeds going towards the fund……

……or have we?

In the past few seasons we’ve played teams such as Villarreal and Napoli as our last pre-season friendly, immediately prior to the kick-off of the new season. There’s usually a small trophy up for grabs, but that’s irrelevant…the game and the occasion is for the England and West Ham legend and all the work that the Bobby Moore fund does in raising money for research into the disease.

However this year our prestigious game is against Deportivo La Coruna, but it’s not being dubbed the Bobby Moore Cup. And if it is, the club are doing their best to make sure no-one knows about it.

I don’t know any better other than to assume that because it’s not publicised as the Bobby Moore Cup and it doesn’t say the Bobby Moore Cup on the tickets, then it simply won’t be played as the Bobby Moore Cup.

Simply put, this year we’re not supporting the BMF or raising a single penny for them when buying tickets for the game. If this is the case and it’s Sullivan and Gold attempting to cut back some costs and increase revenue for themselves, then it’s nothing short of disgusting. And if it is true and you hold the same opinion as me, then I sincerely urge you not to buy tickets for the game. Is that a step too far? Not if we want SuGo to understand what is close to our hearts…and frankly Bobby Moore and the fund in his name come ahead of turning our club into a commercialised, money spinning, callous machine.

If anyone, or the club, could shed any more light on this for me then I’ll happily adjust the article accordingly – but until it’s clarified, I think it’s fair to assume that this year it will just be ‘another’ friendly.

The BMF are doing an amazing job and our club should continue to support them. Please do spend a couple of minutes to have a butchers at their site (HERE) and a read up on the work that they do

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I’ve put something together after Rob Green’s mistake last night. There was too much hate floating around last night for one of the few gentlemen of our national side. He’s a man of integrity and dignity and I felt he warranted some support

You can read my post here: Slate Rob Green – that takes balls

Come on England!

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Reading that West Ham are a possible career move for basketball superstar, LeBron James had me in hysterics. Until, I realised that it was published by the club’s official site.

Of course, this isn’t going to happen and it’s clearly a windup – but I cannot fathom why the official site would republish it? Would not suprise me if, as part of cost cutting, we’ve outsourced the copywriting on our official site to some 10 year old kid on the other side of the world, who’s getting paid £1 an day.

If that’s the case SuGo, then I’ll do it for free so you can save that remaining £1.

If you missed the summer transfer rumour sensation that is LeBron James [basketball superstar] to West Ham [football team], as reported by West Ham then here’s a link. Alternatively, in case the link gets taken down for being a steaming pile, then here’s what it said:

“West Ham United has emerged as a shock possible future destination for NBA basketball superstar LeBron James.

The Cleveland Cavaliers forward could become a free agent this summer, sparking a worldwide scramble for his services ahead of the new season.

The New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, New Jersey Nets and Miami Heat are all rumoured to be interested in the 25-year-old, but Washington Post reporter Norman Chad has suggested that the Hammers could also be in the running.

“This would be the gutsy move for LeBron – head to England and the Premier League for a team that has never won a Premier League title,” wrote Chad in his ‘Couch Slouch’ column.

“The team is without a manager, so LeBron could bring in his own guy. Granted, he’s never played soccer, but, then again, David Beckham’s a big deal and I don’t think he ever plays soccer, either.”

Akron, Ohio-born James, who has spent his entire professional career with the Cavaliers, is likely to command wages in the region of £200,000-a-week.

In the 2009/10 season, the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player earned a salary of $14.41m – or £9.949m by today’s exchange rate.

Having played alongside Shaquille O’Neal at Cleveland this season, James has proved he can partner a bigger forward able to hold the ball up when surrounded by defenders. He is also well-known for his deadly long-range shooting and his willingness to take control of the game when his side is under pressure.

However, it remains to be seen whether the club would be interested in a player as yet unproven in the Barclays Premier League.

Any move to West Ham is likely to leave US President Barack Obama with mixed feelings, seeing as the former Illinois Senator is rumoured to support both the Bulls and the Hammers.”

There are no words.

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