Just done a tour of the Olympic Stadium. It’s designed by the same team that built the Emirates and the feel around the circular concourse outside is similar.
Inside it’s surprisingly intimate. It doesn’t feel like an 80,000 seater stadium at all and every seat has a good view (West Ham will apparently change the roof and make it a 55,000 seater). So it does feel like the Hammers fans could get a good atmosphere going.
But the problem is that running track. It looks very big from the seats and the central area is small at present – hopefully it will be expanded when a football pitch is laid. Spurs claim fans will be 40 metres from the goalline.
Much rests on Karren Brady’s statement that the club is spending £90 million on “reconfiguration of seats”. I’m still not sure exactly what this means. A steeper angle? Some seats closer to the track at the sides?
We have to hope that the WHUFC team has explored other stadiums with athletics/football stadiums and really considered what’s best for the club and fans rather than their bank balance — although as we’re £80 million in debt you could argue we have to move to survive. And 55,000 fans would take us above Spurs in match revenue terms.
An interesting point is that the Olympic delivery people say West Ham were consulted in 2006, but under Terry Brown the club said we didn’t want to move. Had we said yes then it could have been designed to have retractable seats over the running track.
But on the plus side the Olympic Park’s an exciting area and the Velodrome with its wooden exterior looks fantastic. There’s a huge basketball area made of PVC that looks like a giant sugar lump and would surely be the ideal location for a reconfigured Ken’s Café and Newham Bookshop. And it’s nice to be close to the River Lea two miles downriver from where we started put at Thames Ironworks.
Really, we won’t know what the stadium’s like until we’re in it. Maybe we’ll get used to it. The atmosphere at the 1980 FA Cup Final was pretty good despite Wembley’s running track.
But to be honest it’s a dilemma. Great stadium, problematic running track. Although if we get it, at least our subs should be fit from all those track circuits.
Wednesday, February 9
Tuesday, February 8
Grant cashes in his chips
Grant is following in a long line of West Ham stars who like a gamble, such as Harry Redknapp, Teddy Sheringham and Matthew Etherington. And we are sponsored by SBO-BET.
Just hope he hasn't put too big a wager on us staying up.
Meanwhile the Sun printed allegations that Julien Faubert refused to be an emergency substitute against Brum as he'd left the ground and refused to return. Although Faubert says he had permission to visit his sick son in hospital. Whatever, the result was we only had six subs on Sunday.
Monday, February 7
Avram's Blue birthday…
West Ham 0 Birmingham City 1
Pre-match preparations are fine. My daughters are here as it’s kids for a quid and in Ken’s Café we meet match day announcer Jeremy Nicholas and then blogger Iain Dale — who has upset Carol by describing Ken’s as a “greasy spoon” on the radio, when as we all know it is themed retro cuisine at its finest. Big Joe arrives to spend the money we had thrown at us at Birmingham.
Then it’s off to the Newham Bookshop for a chat with Vivian and double book purchase for the girls.
Inside the stadium Jeremy Nicholas announces that it’s Avram Grant’s 56th birthday and from then on it’s all downhill. James Tomkins injures himself in the warm-up. And this being a 1.30pm kick-off, there’s a strangely muted atmosphere zamonmg the crowd. Birmingham have about ten fans which is terrible. Where are all the brave lads who tried to attack us at St Andrew's?
Nothing much happens in the first half. Obinna has a dangerous cross, Keane volleys over, Pedersen and O'Neil play in dangerous low crosses but no forward attacks them and that’s about it. It’s a mediocre game for Sky after the Premier League goal record of the previous day. Birmingham look difficult to break down and we don’t enjoy playing against them.
At half-time Fraser reveals he's been to see Adam Ant — although West Ham are showing no signs of becoming Kings of the Wild Frontier. Even though ridicule is nothing to be scared of.
In the second half we get a bit worse. Upson has to be replaced by Da Costa, and Brum bring on Larsson, who changes the game. We have one inviting chance when Parker breaks only to play a poor ball. Scotty doesn’t have a great game, for once, and you wonder how tired he is after his exertions this season. Keane looks frustrated and nothing comes off for him, while Piquionne is off his game.
Da Costa gives a free kick away and Larsson fires the ball towards Zigic. We clear it, but immediately Mark Noble barges Bentley in the back, causing an ungodly explosion of expletives from the Vicar’s Son besides me.
Larsson fires in the dead ball and Zigic gets goalside of Bridge to head home. He runs off to celebrate in front of the meagre away fans – on Match of the Day all you can see is one man and a boy.
The man in black makes some eccentric decisions as our players are battered by the Brummies and I tell young Nell that the crowd are singing, “The referee’s an anchor!”
Ba and Cole come on for Keane and Piquionne. Ba nearly scores with a great first touch, hitting the post with a difficult chance.
We improve a little, Da Costa has a long range shot saved with no one following in. Then Da Costa heads just wide as Cole almost prods it in.
We lack width and no forward ever seems to run to the far post. Roger Johnson looks composed, Ferguson runs midfield and in truth it’s comfortable for Birmingham. At least the kids have only had to pay a quid – only now it seems we’ve been overcharged.
The whistle blows. Oh what a birthday surprise, Alex has beaten Avram's team. We troop away to Tesco in search of Moshi Monster cards to try to take away the pain. A thoroughly dispiriting day. We’ve never got going. If we can’t take at least point from games like this, then what hope is there?
Avram goes home to celebrate his birthday with Morrissey. The only positives are that Winston Reid has played OK, Upton Park tube is open and we don’t have to play Birmingham again this season — and probably next.
Pre-match preparations are fine. My daughters are here as it’s kids for a quid and in Ken’s Café we meet match day announcer Jeremy Nicholas and then blogger Iain Dale — who has upset Carol by describing Ken’s as a “greasy spoon” on the radio, when as we all know it is themed retro cuisine at its finest. Big Joe arrives to spend the money we had thrown at us at Birmingham.
Then it’s off to the Newham Bookshop for a chat with Vivian and double book purchase for the girls.
Inside the stadium Jeremy Nicholas announces that it’s Avram Grant’s 56th birthday and from then on it’s all downhill. James Tomkins injures himself in the warm-up. And this being a 1.30pm kick-off, there’s a strangely muted atmosphere zamonmg the crowd. Birmingham have about ten fans which is terrible. Where are all the brave lads who tried to attack us at St Andrew's?
Nothing much happens in the first half. Obinna has a dangerous cross, Keane volleys over, Pedersen and O'Neil play in dangerous low crosses but no forward attacks them and that’s about it. It’s a mediocre game for Sky after the Premier League goal record of the previous day. Birmingham look difficult to break down and we don’t enjoy playing against them.
At half-time Fraser reveals he's been to see Adam Ant — although West Ham are showing no signs of becoming Kings of the Wild Frontier. Even though ridicule is nothing to be scared of.
In the second half we get a bit worse. Upson has to be replaced by Da Costa, and Brum bring on Larsson, who changes the game. We have one inviting chance when Parker breaks only to play a poor ball. Scotty doesn’t have a great game, for once, and you wonder how tired he is after his exertions this season. Keane looks frustrated and nothing comes off for him, while Piquionne is off his game.
Da Costa gives a free kick away and Larsson fires the ball towards Zigic. We clear it, but immediately Mark Noble barges Bentley in the back, causing an ungodly explosion of expletives from the Vicar’s Son besides me.
Larsson fires in the dead ball and Zigic gets goalside of Bridge to head home. He runs off to celebrate in front of the meagre away fans – on Match of the Day all you can see is one man and a boy.
The man in black makes some eccentric decisions as our players are battered by the Brummies and I tell young Nell that the crowd are singing, “The referee’s an anchor!”
Ba and Cole come on for Keane and Piquionne. Ba nearly scores with a great first touch, hitting the post with a difficult chance.
We improve a little, Da Costa has a long range shot saved with no one following in. Then Da Costa heads just wide as Cole almost prods it in.
We lack width and no forward ever seems to run to the far post. Roger Johnson looks composed, Ferguson runs midfield and in truth it’s comfortable for Birmingham. At least the kids have only had to pay a quid – only now it seems we’ve been overcharged.
The whistle blows. Oh what a birthday surprise, Alex has beaten Avram's team. We troop away to Tesco in search of Moshi Monster cards to try to take away the pain. A thoroughly dispiriting day. We’ve never got going. If we can’t take at least point from games like this, then what hope is there?
Avram goes home to celebrate his birthday with Morrissey. The only positives are that Winston Reid has played OK, Upton Park tube is open and we don’t have to play Birmingham again this season — and probably next.
Thursday, February 3
Oh we do like to be beside the seaside…
Blackpool 1 West Ham 3
Fantastic result in another save-our-season-at-the-seaside game. My heart has several palpitations with ten minutes to go while watching live updates on bbcsport.com, although we seem to see the game out without too much trouble.
Watching Match of the Day it’s all down to Victor again. The Obinna enigma goes close early on producing a good save. We take the lead when he torments Cathcart to send in a near post shot that Kingson inexplicably fumbles into the net. A clanger, but if you don’t buy a ticket for the lottery, Gary, etc.
Our second arrives after Piq’s knock-down sees Vic have two shots well saved by Kingson before Keane scores with an angled volley. A classy finish and an instant repayment for Grant’s faith.
Being West Ham, we concede just before half-time, Adam’s corner daisy-cutting its way through our defence and straight into goal. There’s no-one on the post, Green is off his line and it’s another calamity.
But 90 seconds later Parker finds Obinna who lashes an unstoppable left footer into the tip corner from 35 yards. THERE’ SOMETHING IN THE AIR… IS VIC THERE? He certainly is! Great strike. The boy has talent – now he needs to show it every week. Five goals in four days isn’t bad though and he’s now our joint top scorer.
Second half sees Eardley hit the bar with a free kick and Keane have a goalbound shot saved. While the away fans give Pool sub Marlon Harewood a nice cheer. But the game’s been won before half-time and we hold out, even though sub Beattie causes problems for our two young centre backs Reid and Tomkins.
One final negative thought, those online live updates brilliantly illustrate our knack of sometimes turning attack into defence. You're forever reading:
75 mins Noble short corner.
75 mins 10 secs Blackpool attack.
A great result and it drags Blackpool, with six defeats in seven matches, right into the struggle.
It seems out top team is now Green: Jacobsen, Upson, Tomkins, Bridge: O’Neil, Parker, Noble, Obinna: Piquionne, Keane. Plus an experienced bench with the likes of Cole, Ba, Spector, Da Costa, Boa Morte, Barrera and soon Hitzlsperger to choose from.
Third from bottom and I’m almost feeling optimistic.
Fantastic result in another save-our-season-at-the-seaside game. My heart has several palpitations with ten minutes to go while watching live updates on bbcsport.com, although we seem to see the game out without too much trouble.
Watching Match of the Day it’s all down to Victor again. The Obinna enigma goes close early on producing a good save. We take the lead when he torments Cathcart to send in a near post shot that Kingson inexplicably fumbles into the net. A clanger, but if you don’t buy a ticket for the lottery, Gary, etc.
Our second arrives after Piq’s knock-down sees Vic have two shots well saved by Kingson before Keane scores with an angled volley. A classy finish and an instant repayment for Grant’s faith.
Being West Ham, we concede just before half-time, Adam’s corner daisy-cutting its way through our defence and straight into goal. There’s no-one on the post, Green is off his line and it’s another calamity.
But 90 seconds later Parker finds Obinna who lashes an unstoppable left footer into the tip corner from 35 yards. THERE’ SOMETHING IN THE AIR… IS VIC THERE? He certainly is! Great strike. The boy has talent – now he needs to show it every week. Five goals in four days isn’t bad though and he’s now our joint top scorer.
Second half sees Eardley hit the bar with a free kick and Keane have a goalbound shot saved. While the away fans give Pool sub Marlon Harewood a nice cheer. But the game’s been won before half-time and we hold out, even though sub Beattie causes problems for our two young centre backs Reid and Tomkins.
One final negative thought, those online live updates brilliantly illustrate our knack of sometimes turning attack into defence. You're forever reading:
75 mins Noble short corner.
75 mins 10 secs Blackpool attack.
A great result and it drags Blackpool, with six defeats in seven matches, right into the struggle.
It seems out top team is now Green: Jacobsen, Upson, Tomkins, Bridge: O’Neil, Parker, Noble, Obinna: Piquionne, Keane. Plus an experienced bench with the likes of Cole, Ba, Spector, Da Costa, Boa Morte, Barrera and soon Hitzlsperger to choose from.
Third from bottom and I’m almost feeling optimistic.
Wednesday, February 2
What a waste of money!
Tonight's Standard reveals that there's no place in our squad for Benni McCarthy and Herita Ilunga. Sad for Ilunga who is a good player when fit - only after two years of problems is he ever going to be the same player again?.
As for Benni, we've paid £2.5 million and 40k a week for three years for our 27th most useful player. Big Sam Allardyce must be laughing at that one.
As for Benni, we've paid £2.5 million and 40k a week for three years for our 27th most useful player. Big Sam Allardyce must be laughing at that one.
Ba code
One further piece of trivia from Matt the Anorak. He says that Demba Ba has the shortest surname of a player in West Ham's history, just beating Marc Vivien Foe.
Tuesday, February 1
We've got Scotty Parker!
Relief! In the latest episode of Minder meets the transfer window used player dealer Harry 'H' Redknapp was so busy trying to entice Big Phil Neville and Charlie 'Jock' Adam down sarf that he forgot he'd asked Terence to add Scotty to the stock in his lock-up.
Meanwhile Behrami's fee has paid for O'Neil and a slice of Demba Ba, so we've come out of it solvent and with four extra players through playing the loan system.
One final thought: If Andy Carroll is worth £35m then imagine what a fit Dean Ashton might now be worth...
Meanwhile Behrami's fee has paid for O'Neil and a slice of Demba Ba, so we've come out of it solvent and with four extra players through playing the loan system.
One final thought: If Andy Carroll is worth £35m then imagine what a fit Dean Ashton might now be worth...
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