THIS IS FROM THE WEST HAM MAILING LIST…
Firstly well done Nick Igoe (NI) and Scott Duxberry (SD) for an excellent evening with free drink and sarnies for good measure!!
600 applied for the forum, 30 accepted 18 turned up.
NI and SD were good hosts and as honest and open as one could wish.
So it went like this….
Tevez is under contract for 3 more years, if he wants to stay he will the same with any player. At the moment SD has many players and agents knocking on the door looking for new deals or the exit.
They will meet Tevez in the next 14 days, we have first refusal and hope and wish to keep him. SD admitted that this would be hard if Real Madrid etc came in for him.
SD met Yossi on Monday and should be an announcement next week ref him staying so good news there.
SEASON TICKETS, no more Student band just U21s U16s U10s OAP and normal. Will be an increase but not has high as speculated on these forums. Alas chap who asked me about mature student, no go – open to abuse so u21 replace these.
PLAYERS Teddy has gone, so has Newton and Mears. More will follow TBC.
TRANSFER BUDGET Club has a 3yr biz plan SD kept coming back to this and hope for Champions league in the 3yrs. Curbs, Eggy and SD meet tomorrow to discuss signing s for new season – expect 2 or 3 “world class” players who are more than likely all ready in the Prem but we will look abroad. Club will evolve and not do a Chelsea and change overnight.
EAST STAND/NEW GROUND there will be no redevelopment of the East stand. The club intend to move to a new 60000 all seater WITHIN 3 YEARS. Royal Mail site at West Ham looks fav. This is basic requirement if we want Champions League football.
DEAN ASHTON has had a one week holiday and is already back at the club. He is nearing full training and will be fully fit for next season, if we had got relegated HE WOULD HAVE STAYED
HAMMER SHOPS we have a new Retail Director so expect massive overhaul of the commercial side of the shops with better online facilities as well as new items to buy
STADIUM WILL BE SMOKELESS JULY 1st onwards – the law says so!
TEVEZ SITUATION LEGAL SIDE…..
SD was very pi $$ ed off with all this in the press, he felt the press had been on a witch hunt and all had been blown out of al proportion. Arbritration is misguided and we never feared points loss based on legal advice given. He said the truth will never be fully known due to the press spin. It was a simple dispute which we got hammered financially for. Club have kept quite due to political climate Whe*an is ignorant to the FACTS. Tevez was and always has been signed and registered since Aug 31st. This never altered, he was never ineligable his registration never altered. SD said he had never heard of rule U18- its under misc. in the handbook next to the rule you have to have a advert in the programme for the football foundation – thats how obsecure it is.
SD would not comment on sueing Brown and Aldridge – so that means they probably will!!! Club is 100% we will stay up – not even in question. He said this was all press selling papers and negative West Ham fans in the press.
STANDING is not upto the club – its the law so no change on stance
NEW KIT
This will be Umbro – got view sponsor will be XL airlines. The deal is NINE TIMES bigger than previous deal and will launched in June. The new away kit to be launched on Aug 4th at Friendly – which will prob be against glamour Spanish Team.
2 new screens to replace old screens at ground and WHUTV and Website to be overhauled and made much better.
Historically we had no biz plan – club no focussed on commercial side and have split this and the playing side to increase revenue from commercial aspect. Arsenal have £2.m turnover per game ours is £900k – this to be improved.
MUSEUM is to shut and items placed elsewhere in ground
We almost signed a right winger in JAN then due to injuries to defenders we scrapped this deal and signed Davenport – player I think was Ashley Young. He was actually with SD and Curbs etc and deal agreed before we pulled plug.
Pardew didnt play Mascharno for whatever reasons Curbs didnt think he was fit. NO financial or contractural reasons just footballing from managers.
Reo Coker meeting soon with Agent – if he wants to stay great if not then he can go.
The club purchase by Eggy is not secured on the clubs assets. Eggy hates losing and loves the transfer window as he aims to bring in world class players to take us to the next level.
Tevez signed on a Bosman – he is our player we do not have to sell him unless player wants to go – same as any other. Hence club want him, if he wants to stay he will be a West Ham player BUT if Real Madrid say come on for him and he wants to go then nothing we can really do – same as anyother player nowadays.
Expect more players out than in – certain players will leave before we bring in, dont be alarmed no firesale, just the way the deals are going to work. THERE HAVE BEEN NO FIRM BID FOR ANY WHU PLAYER.
The new kit will have a shelf life of only ONE YEAR and as mentioned home kit launch June away at Aug 4th friendly.
Season ticket renewal packs out next week late, have to be done by 29th June. Delayed due to uncertain of league we would be playing in
PRE SEASON we are going to Austria to use same training camp as Bolton use.
This season pre season was poor and we lost our edge and fitness hence poor start and ta ta Pards. Need to get sharpness back and finish strongly in games as per previous season.
Some side points……AND THESE ARE PERSONAL VIEWS FROM THINGS SAID AND BODY LANGUAGE ETC
I got the impression Reo Coker is 100% going – prob to Sp*rs. NO CLUB CAME IN FOR HIM IN AUGUST and none of the top 4 ever enquired.
Lucas Neil is seen as the main man – will also drive the club forward, potential to tour Aussie next year as he is huge out there and WHUFC are getting alot of press from him at the club.
SD also was quite defensive over Boa Morte, said he had been injured and suffered from a virus and felt he would be prove to be a great player next season. It seems him and Neill are the boys in favour! No mention of Quashie?!!! Upson will be back next season and SD also mentioned when talking tactics that dont forget Lucas Neil can play LB and Anton RB – maybe the club have that in mind when looking to sign players.
The club will also carry out surveys in the summer over the fans perception off the club and what we hope to see. One thing raised was the size and content of the programme which seems to be under review. The programme WILL NOT increase in price this season.
As I say SDs main target seems to be moving the commercial side regardless of the success on the pitch and this 3yr plan sees very ambitious but he seems very driven to deliever.
The shirts question is too keep the stock fresh so hence the change every year. Also expect to see more improved leisure gear in stock as well as other items as the whole club shop and online side is improved. He quoted Man City and Everton raise £5m pa from their stores etc, we make £3m. Target is to exceed these other clubs asap.
The issue of atmosphere at the new ground was raised and the club plan to learn from other clubs mistakes BUT the board feel that our fans would make an atmosphere anywhere (gave Millenium Stadium as best ever and thats a new stadium) and that its our fans who will give us the edge as opposed to other clubs like Arsenal where the atmosphere has always been quieter. It seems all the stuff in the press about the fans wasnt just to keep us sweet, they truly believe we made a difference.
The board also stated that there are no plans to price out the “traditional fan” without us they wont fill a 60000 seater stadium so plan to use both traditional and corporate fans alongside each other to drive the club forward.
SD also said that the clubs corporate hospitality had a record year and record profits.
I really dont recall anything negative – it does seem to be very exciting moving forward as the club strive to improve on and off the pitch.
NI also stated more forums in the future including ones with Eggy and possibly Curbs as well as more open days at the ground and also training days which again will be at the ground and open to the fans.
