March 24th, 2008 - 5:26 pm
I don’t know about you but one of my favourite West Ham players from the mid 1990s was Steve Jones. It seems he has hit upon hard times since leaving the game and has recently sold his Charlton Play Off medal on Ebay for £2,751. I’m a bit late in posting this, but I got this email last week from one of my readers alerting me to the sale. I meant to post it at the time to try to boost the price, but I’m afraid I got sidetracked.
EMAIL 1: Hope you are well and have to say as a fellow Hammer and season ticket holder I love your blog, its a cracking read and I love to get involved …Anyway the reason I emailed you was that I think it is always sad to see any ex footballer hit a financial crisis and even more so when it is one of your own. Remember Steve Jones the Billericay boy that came good and signed for us, well over the last year or so I have watched him sell off his own personal collection of Hammers Memrobilia on ebay due to financial problems. It really makes me sad to see this happening and wonder why the football authorities have never set up some kind of scheme to help ex pros that have money probs; any ideas?
Anyway I saw tonight that Steve is now selling off his coverted Play Off winners medal from when he played at Charlton and I wondered if there was any way that you could help him to get more for it by putting it on your blog? here is the link:
If I had £2.5k I’d buy it myself but I haven’t, i find this whole thing really sad and know he’s not the first and will not be the last, it certainly makes you remember that pro’s have a very short shelf life. . Anyway I thought it was of interest and hope that someone with a packet of cash pays big bucks for it so Steve doesn’t have to sell any more of his stuff.
We shouldn’t forget that it is only ten years ago that players weren’t on the kind of money they are today. If Steve Jones was playing for West Ham or Charlton today he’s be on at least £10k a week.
March 23rd, 2008 - 7:04 pm
Robert Green has been called into the England Squad to replace the injured Chris Kirkland. It’s about time too. I couldn’t be more delighted for him.
March 22nd, 2008 - 7:22 pm
Make no mistake, this was a good result. It’s also a game we could easily have won. How wonderful was it to see Freddie Sears and Dean Ashton linking up so well, and Freddie nearly scoring the winner? It would have been no more than he deserved. After a dodgy start to the game I felt we dominated the second half. After Dean Ashton’s free kick which Howard somehow kept out with his leg at the end of the first half, we never really looked back. Defensively we look reasonably solid. The Setanata commentator blamed James Tomkins for the Everton goal, which I felt was a bit harsh. Whatever the truth of it, Tomkins kept his composure for the rest of the game and nearly scored with a header which bounded back off the bar fairly early on.
Interestingly, Mark Noble was very quiet during the first half and lost possession quite a lot. When he started playing, so did the whole team. Dean Ashton is looking sharper and sharper and his goal was sublime. There seemed no way he could score from that position, but for the second game in a row, he did. He should be told by Curbishley that he will play in each game until the end of the season. And Freddie Sears should play along side him as well. I can see a potentially lethal partnership being formed there.
Oh, I haven’t mentioned Boa Morte yet, have I? No, thought not. Best to leave it there. Even the commentator said he thought he couldn’t be arsed.
Green 8
Ferdinand 7
Tomkins 7
McCartney 7
Neill 7
Parker 7
Noble 7
Mullins 6
Boa Morte 5
Ashton 8
Ljungberg 7
Sears 8
March 22nd, 2008 - 12:22 pm
James Tomkins should be blooded this afternoon for his full debut. The reason? Jonathan Spector arrived on Merseyside at 2am this morning after a 14 hour journey back from the USA following an Olympic qualifying match. Whenever Lucas Neill has arrived after an international he has gone on to have an absolute stinker. Curbishley should avoid playing Jonathan Spector if at all possible.
March 21st, 2008 - 4:53 pm
Against West Ham, Everton have won more matches (13), gained more points (45) and scored more goals (44) than against any other club, according to the Premier League. And that’s why I am not very optimistic about tomorrow! Mind you, they can’t be all that good if they lost to Fulham last week.
I imagine Curbishley will keep the same starting eleven that started against Blackburn. I’d love to see Freddie Sears start, but maybe it is best to keep him on the bench for a bit and let him finish the last twenty minutes or so of each game.
Luis Boa Morte is available for selection again. I shall refrain from further comment.
March 20th, 2008 - 10:03 am
So, there are two questions to be answered today. Will Mark Noble be in the England squad? And the second one is: why isn’t Robert Green in it?
March 17th, 2008 - 11:04 pm
So the much heralded appointment of a new technical director at West Ham has finally come to pass. Gianluca Nani is to take on the rule from June 1st according to a club statement today. This is not quite the new venture it appears. In reality it was the role Ron Greenwood took on as General Manager after John Lyall took over in 1974. Alan Curbishley seems to have been fully involved in the appointment and he is the lynchpin here. If he is positive about the role it can work. If he views it has having someone looking over his shoulder all the time, it won’t. It really is as simple as that. I think the Board were looking for a half glass full merchant to provide a bit of optimism in the camp. Curbishley’s hang dog expression does not go down well with some members of the board.
So what do you think Nani will bring to the club? What should his main priorities be?
March 16th, 2008 - 6:03 pm
I’ve just been watching Alan Curbishley’s post match press conference. His most interesting comment was to say that Sears, Tomkins and Collison will be in and around the team for the rest of the season. He said about Freddie Sears: “I’m going to give him a bit of a run”. Excellent. Freddie Sears certainly gave me a tonic yesterday when I was coughing my guts up at home! It will be interesting to see what he does against Everton. My bet is that Freddie Sears will start, alongside Dean Ashton. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if James Tomkins got a look in in the first team in the next two or three matches.
March 15th, 2008 - 10:12 am
I’m afraid I won’t be at Upton Park this afternoon. I can’t remember the last time I missed a game through illness, but for the last few days I have had a stinker of a cold. I thought it was going yesterday.but my head is throbbing ten to the dozen at the moment. Anyway, enough of my woes, what about the woes of our team. There will be those who think that anything better than a 4-0 tonking will be a result. Wrong. We need to put on a good display today and go for a clear win. Away with 4-5-1, let’s go for it. Boa Morte is out through suspension, thank God so I would have thought Ljungberg will play down the left with Solano on the right. I hope Noble comes in to play with Parker in the centre of midfield and that Ashton and Zamora start together up front. I’m not sure if Upson is still out, but it is to be assumed that Spector will fill in again despite his horrors last time out. personally, I’d like to see Neill rested and Pantsil given a chance. He’s obviously gagging for it. Here’s my expected team…
Green, Upson, Ferdinand, McCartney, Neill, Solano, Ljungberg, Noble, Parker, Zamora, Ashton. Subs: Wright, Mullins, Tomkins, Cole, Sears.
UPDATE: The Sun reports that Anton is out for three weeks with ankle ligament damage. They suggest that Lucas Neill will move to central defence with Pantsil replacing him on the right. The other alternative would be to play James Tomkins.
March 11th, 2008 - 9:38 am
Pete May is the author of IRONS IN THE SOUL, HAMMERS IN THE HEART and was a regular contributor to the fanzine FORTUNES ALWAYS HIDING. His new book THERE’S A HIPPO IN MY CISTERN (Collins) is out on June 2
How did you become a Hammer?
My dad and I toured around various London clubs when I became interested in the beautiful game, age 11. We tried Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea. There was a brief flirtation with Manchester United because of George Best, but West Ham was the closest team to Upminster station and seemed somehow special. Must have been all those lab coats and high-leg DM boots on the North Bank that did it.
Your first game?
It was West Ham v Blackpool on October 31 1970. We won 2-1 and John McDowell was making his debut. We’d just shifted Martin Peters to Spurs and acquired some old drunk called Greavesie in exchange, although even when an alcoholic he still scored more than Carlton and Luis up front. Back then the band played on the pitch before the game and Hammer used words like ‘custodian’, ‘axiom’ and ‘kudos’.
How many games do you get to?
I’m a season ticket holder in the East Stand and I’ve been to Coventry and Arsenal away this season. Would have been away more but for book writing commitments.
Most memorable moment?
So many. Di Canio’s histrionics in the 5-4 home win against Bradford take some beating. I was at the 1975 FA Cup final and in 1980 I travelled down from Lancaster University and managed to get a ticket for a fiver from a fellow fan to see us beat Arsenal at Wembley. The play-off final against Preston was unforgettable because we’d sold half the England team and somehow returned to the Premiership. Also the 2004 play-off semi-final against Ipswich, Tevez diving into the crowd against Spurs and when we beat Chelsea 1-0 with Di Canio’s goal linger as examples of just how emotive games at Upton Park can be. The 2005 FA Cup Final felt like we are a part of history in the making and I felt immensely proud that our team had helped salvage the reputation of the FA Cup, even if defeat was horrible. I won’t forget losing away to Rotherham or a 6-0 defeat on plastic at rainswept Oldham either.
Have you met any Hammers players?
Yes, I interviewed Paolo Di Canio and he was very keen to talk about Mussolini which makes him quite left wing in Chigwell. ‘¹ve also interviewed Alan Pardew, Glenn Roeder, Harry Redknapp at Sportspages (who claimed not to recognise Leicester Square) and Curbs when he was at Charlton.
Favourite current player?
Robert Green, I guess, although there are no real heroes now Christian Dailly and his curly hair have gone. Bellamy might be entertaining if he’s ever fit, but we desperately need a Di Canio/Tevez-esque figure.
Describe last season. How did it affect you?
I’ve never felt lower than after the Spurs defeat. My six-year-old daughter Nell had to chide me for saying we’d lose before the Blackburn game and she was right. What followed was one of the greatest feats of escapology ever yet we got no credit for it, such was the media obsession with Tevez-gate. Being at Old Trafford was brilliant. I’ve never known tension like it.
What are your hopes for this season?
To finish tenth and get a striker who can score!
Choose your all time Hammers Eleven
Parkes
Bonds Moore (Captain) Martin, S Pearce
Di Canio, Brooking, Peters, Devonshire
Tevez Hurst
Subs: Green, Dicks, J Cole, McAvennie, B. Robson.
Tough to leave Dicksy out but I feel that Stuart Pearce was much better at controlling his aggression. The side lacks a midfield ball winner but you can’t really leave Dev, Trev or Martin Peters out. Bilic would also be close to making the subs bench as would Cottee.
What do your colleagues make of your support for West Ham
There seem to be numerous Hammers fans in the media. Lasagne-quaffing Spurs fans are the worse for taunting.
When you’re reporting on West Ham games how difficult is it to be objective?
Impossible. I could never be a full-time match reporter because it would mean missing watching the Irons.
Complete this sentence: The thing I hate about West Ham is:
Our complete and utter unpredictability.
Complete this sentence: The thing I love about West Ham is:
When I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles is echoing around Upton Park and Wembley. There’s no better football song in the world.
