Up The Hammers – Latest West Ham United FC News

• West Ham look set to qualify for the Europa League via the fair play route but the club are wary because they move into the Olympic Stadium for 2016-17 and cannot countenance relegation Sam Allardyce can see the funny side; how the whole thing flies in the face of popular perception. “Imagine me winning the fair play league,” the West Ham United manager said, bellowing with laughter. “You wouldn’t have thought that, …

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The intriguing subplot is that West Ham and Everton are locked in a race to qualify for Europe via the Fair Play League. Or should that be the race to avoid the Europa League? It will be interesting to see how many times Kevin Friend has to reach for his cards. West Ham may have Winston Reid back after hamstring trouble, but Everton’s Leighton Baines is missing after having ankle surgery. Jacob

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Sam Allardyce comments on rumours that he is about to lose his job as West Ham United manager after four years in the role. The club’s owners will decide on the manager’s future after the team’s final match of the season against Newcastle United on 24 May. Allardyce says the speculation should not distract his side from their performance. West Ham, who are 10th in the Premier League, face Everton at Upton Park on Saturday Continue reading…

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• Allardyce: ‘If you want more you will have to be calling for Houdini’ • West Ham manager: contract situation will be resolved after season ends • Allardyce: Europa League chance makes contract talks more urgent Sam Allardyce has said that only Harry Houdini could have done a better job than him as the West Ham United manager over the past four years. Allardyce’s future is on the line, with his two-year contract due to expire…

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• West Ham manager has ‘a lot to negotiate’ before resolving future • Allardyce: ‘Whether I’m staying or going, that hasn’t been decided’ Sam Allardyce has acknowledged that West Ham United’s possible qualification for Europe via the Fair Play League has made it even more important to resolve his contractual situation the moment the season ends. The manager’s current two-year deal runs out next month and he said yet again …

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Speaking ahead of his team’s Premier League clash against West Ham United on Saturday, Everton manager Roberto Martínez says defender Leighton Baines will be out of commission for the rest of the season following surgery to address an ankle injury. Baines was forced to leave the pitch during last week’s match against Sunderland as a result of the problem. Martínez also reflects on the club’s hopes of playing in the Europa League, and looks forward …

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• No decision on Allardyce future until after the end of season • Rafael Benítez and Michael Laudrup linked with Hammers • West Ham on course for Europa League after England receives fair play place The uncertainty surrounding Sam Allardyce’s future at West Ham United will drag beyond the end of the Premier League season, with no progress made as yet on contract talks. The manager, whose deal expires on 30 June, has re-established …

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Featuring overhead kicks from Germany and Spain, a passing move from Norway, a familiar goal from Seoul and a free-kick from Manchester United’s new forward Ludovic Giuly (MONTS D’OR AZERGUES v AS Béziers) Minkyu Joo (Gyengnam v SEOUL E-LAND FC) Johan Oremo (Helsingborg v GEFLE) Keith O’Sullivan (BUNRATTY UNITED U16s v Skibbereen) Continue reading…

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Manuel Pellegrini will have an eye on Bayern v Barcelona, Tom Cleverley continues his renaissance and duo do their best to avoid the Europa League Related: QPR’s Chris Ramsey agrees with Joey Barton’s ‘bad eggs’ criticism • Match report: Manchester City 6-0 QPR • Manuel Pellegrini refuses to discuss his future • Bruce blames himself for Hull’s poor performance • Match report: Hull City 0-1 Burnley • Match report: Aston Villa 1-0 West Ham • Match report: Leicester 2-0 Southampton • The Premier…

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• Former England midfielder is open to permanent Villa move • Cleverley will be out of contract at the end of the season • Aston Villa take step toward safety with confident display against West Ham Looking and sounding like a man enjoying his football again, Tom Cleverley has given the clearest indication yet that he could join Aston Villa on a permanent basis in the summer, by saying that the Midlands club …

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The Tim Sherwood effect continues to transform Aston Villa’s fortunes and Tom Cleverley has benefitted as much as anyone in recent weeks. After failing to get a goal in his first 31 appearances for Villa and struggling to make much of an impact under Paul Lambert earlier in the season, Cleverley scored for the third match in succession to secure a crucial victory and lift Tim Sherwood’s side four points clear of the relegation zone. Available on…

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Another home game, another win – that will be the minimum requirement for Tim Sherwood’s Villa, who are only two points above the drop zone, despite beating Everton at Villa Park last Saturday. Gabriel Agbonlahor returns from injury but will start on the bench against a West Ham side who have a chance to qualify for Europe via the fair play table. What a test for Reece Burke, the 18-year-old …

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• England and Republic of Ireland both awarded fair play spots • West Ham second in Premier League’s fair play table behind Liverpool • Dnipro hit Napoli late while Sevilla do for Fiorentina West Ham United are on course for a place in next season’s Europa League after England was granted an additional fair play place for coming second in Uefa’s rankings. Uefa has announced that the Netherlands, England and Republic of Ireland will all get an extra place in …

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• Duff has red card rescinded after being sent off against West Ham • Defender now available to face Hull on Saturday Michael Duff is free to play in the relegation battle at Hull on Saturday after the FA rescinded the red card he received against West Ham. The defender was sent off for tripping Cheikhou Kouyaté in the penalty area during Burnley’s 1-0 defeat at Upton Park last Saturday . Continue reading

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• Mark Noble penalty all but seals Burnley’s fate with three games left • Manager remains upbeat about potential for swift return to top flight • Speculation over future of Danny Ings likely to dominate summer at Turf Moor Sean Dyche insists he still has the energy to take Burnley forward should they be relegated from the Premier League this week, stating the club’s infrastructure and set-up has significantly improved in recent times to…

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If Burnley’s task was already tough, the challenge now is almost insurmountable. This defeat, courtesy of Mark Noble’s penalty and Michael Duff’s controversial sending off, leaves Sean Dyche’s side eight points adrift of safety with nine points to play for. Their fans still applauded at the final whistle here but the sun is slowly setting on Burnley’s season in the Premier League. That said, there was certainly a sense of injustice in the air following this result, with the referee Jon Moss…

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Sean Dyche must have hoped that his side’s victory over Manchester City in March would kickstart a survival bid but Burnley have not scored and picked up only one point from the five matches since then, and last Saturday’s home defeat by Leicester means they head to east London five points adrift of safety. West Ham, with only one win in their last 13 games, seem ideal opposition. Paul Chronnell Kick-off Saturday 3pm Continue reading…

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• West Ham are charging away fans £55 per adult ticket • Everton club and players to pick up the shortfall Everton fans will have their tickets for the match at West Ham United on Saturday 16 May subsidised by the first-team players and the club. West Ham are charging £55, with £32 tickets available for under-16s and over-65s. Everton are reducing the cost by £10 per person in an effort to make the trip more affordable …

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• Guingamp’s top scorer reveals he will be leaving in the summer • Everton and West Ham reportedly interested in signing Frenchman • The Rumour Mill: Eden Hazard to Real Madrid? Claudio Beauvue looks to be on the move after Guingamp’s top scorer announced he will leave the club this summer. The 27-year-old French striker has been linked in recent press reports with a move to the Premier League, with Everton and West Ham thought to be interested. Continue reading…

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• ‘We must hold our own’ during visits to Liverpool and Manchester City • West Ham’s Sam Allardyce still in the dark over future • Charlie Austin blows penalty in goalless draw Chris Ramsey took a deep breath and sighed. The QPR manager had just been asked what his team needed to stay in the Premier League and he gave a grim prognosis. “We need to win two of the four games left …

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Without his goals this season Queens Park Rangers would have long been dead and buried in the race for survival but Charlie Austin’s first half penalty miss in this otherwise dull scoreless draw has left Chris Ramsey’s team on the brink of a Championship return. The QPR manager had spoken before kick-off of his team requiring three victories from their remaining five games if they were to survive. Continue reading…

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David Cameron appears to have suffered from a’ brain fade’ on Saturday, mistaking his ‘beloved’ Aston Villa football club for West Ham United. During his speech about black and ethnic minority communities in Britain, Cameron says, ‘you can support Man Utd, the West Indies and Team GB all at the same time – of course I’d rather you supported West Ham. ‘The only similarity between the two Premier League sides is that they

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Before the Premier League’s six-figure salaries, retiring footballers had to start again, with little experience off the pitch. From a detective to a former convict, ex-players talk about their second life The Knowledge archive (2005): retired footballers’ strangest jobs Then: winger with Middlesbrough, Blackburn Rovers, Southampton and England, Premier League winner with Blackburn in 1995. Now: qualified solicitor and prospective law lecturer, Ribble Valley, Lancashire. Continue reading…

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If QPR are to accumulate sufficient points to stay up, Chris Ramsey will have marked this game as a must-win. The manager will be plotting trips to Anfield and the Etihad after this as matches they would not be expected to triumph in. West Ham, currently 10th and with one win from 12 in all competitions, are easing to the finish line and look to be there for the taking. Alan Smith Kick

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West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce says his focus for the team is going to be on winning more matches, saying it is a responsibility for the team to do so. Allardyce says West Ham United have let themselves down over the course of the past 10 to 11 matches, identifying games against Stoke City and Manchester City as particularly poor. He also comments on the rumours over a possible exit by Alan Cresswell Continue reading…

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Freddie Sears tumbled down the divisions after a fairytale start at West Ham but is now chasing a return to the top flight under Mick McCarthy at Ipswich • Afobe keeps Wolves’ faint play-off hopes alive with strike against Ipswich It was love at first sight. Or so it seemed. It was 15 March 2008 and West Ham were drifting towards an inconsequential 1-1 draw with Blackburn Rovers. There were 15 minutes left…

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