Copyright West Ham Till I Die. No part of this interview may be reproduced without crediting West Ham Till I Die Blog
This is the seventh and final part of my interview with Scott Duxbury. There’s quite a lot in this, including the latest on Rob Green’s and Matthew Upson’s contract situation, the progress of our injured players, the latest on the Olympic Stadium and the possibility of moving to the Olympic Stadium post 2012, and much more besides.
Anyway, it seems from the comments that you have mostly enjoyed the interview, so I will have to think who to try to talk to next.
ID: Matthew Upson and Robert Green, are their contract situations anywhere near being sorted out?
SD: We have been in dialogue with Rob Green’s agent for many months with regard to a new contract. Those discussions have stopped because Rob has a certain expectation of what he wants from a contract, which I fully respect. We are trying to get as close to his expectations as we can but obviously we have our principles and our structures. The conversation will start again.
When does the contract run out?
He’s got three more years so it’s not pressing. We are certainly not going to lose Rob Green. When we can, discussions will start again and I am sure we’ll find a conclusion.
It would be unthinkable to lose Rob Green, wouldn’t it? In most people’s opinion he is the top keeper in the country.
Yes, and we have no desire to lose Rob Green and we won’t. As long as every players wants to be at this football club, we want them. He has given no indication he wants to go and we certainly don’t want to lose him. Matthew Upson is slightly different. He’s got two years left to run. We have made contact with his agent and we will try to start to discuss a new contract as soon as we can. Again, we don’t want to lose Matthew.
But he’s 30 now. If Manchester City bid £17 million for him, you’re not going to turn it down, are you?
We don’t want to lose him, but again, it is down to each individual player as to whether they want to be part of what we are trying to do. I am not purposely trying to be evasive and I am trying to be as honest as I can. If a player wants to be part us they’ll stay, and we want Matthew to stay. It’s really down to Matthew as to what he sees… I don’t know what his aspirations are. There has been lots of talk that he must have European football etc but I have not had an opportunity to sit down with Matthew but I know Gianfranco wants him to stay, we want him to stay so if he wants to be with us he will be with us when the season starts.
The partnership between Upson and Tomkins has been amazing. Tomkins was our top player in the last quarter of the season, I think. He could be the next home grown star of the future.
Absolutely. What Tomkins has done has been superb. There are lots of considerations. I hope Matthew signs a new contract. I hope he wants to be with us. But it’s a conversation between Gianfranco and Matthew. It’s down to those two.
Let’s talk about some of the injured players. Is Kieron Dyer really back to full fitness?
Yes, he’s fit and I think the pre season will do him good. It will be the first pre season he has had with the club where he’s actually been fit. He’s back to fitness, scheduled to do a full pre season.
What about Danny Gabbidon? He was a cracking player for us, for a time.
He’s fit. The medical department have done an amazing job on him. I think he had four separate injuries and systematically they have cured them, one by one. So he’s fit. If he comes through the pre season unscathed, that’s another centre back that we’ve got.
What about Behrami? Last time we spoke you were eulogizing about his attitude to recovery. You said he was in before anyone else and left the training ground after everyone else as he was so keen to get back to fitness. How’s he progressing? Will he bit fit for the start of the season?
He could play now! He’s an absolute animal. He has the attitude that if his leg is hanging off it’s only a scratch! He’ll be fine. I think he will miss the first game of the season but after that he will be in full training. I have got no concerns over Behami.
When he made his debut I thought he was a weird player – headless chicken and all over the place. But after three or four games you could see what he was going to become. He’s one of the players that each week you get a bid from an Italian club for. They keep increasing the bids but we say no, no no. The only positive thing about his injury this summer is that hopefully there will be no bids. He is a huge, huge player.
And Scott Parker? He seems to be quite injury prone. Is he going to be OK for the start of the season too?
Yes, he’s fine too. There was an element of precaution at the end of the season. He’s another one who will benefit from a full pre season. He’s a player that Gianfranco really, really rates and wants him to be part of his plans having fought so hard to keep him after the bid from Manchester City and with the banks. He is someone who is key for Gianfranco.
Kovac. Has he gone for good?
Kovac is a funny one. We have an option to sign him and Gianfranco is assessing the situation as to whether we will be exercising that. We have a lot of midfielders and we have certain targets, so depending on how the transfer window pans out, we’ll make a decision on that. He has not ruled it out.
Were people disappointed that Freddie Sears didn’t really make a breakthrough last year?
Gianfranco has got high hopes for him. He has done a lot of one on one coaching with him, but he feels he will now benefit from a full season of competitive football, which is why he has been put out on loan. He is certainly someone who Gianfranco believes will have a future at the club. Absolutely. He says he sees a lot of himself in him, which I hope is right. That would be good!
Someone was telling me that you are planning a penalty shootout between Zola and Maradona at the Napoli game. Is that right?
That was my idea but it has proved difficult to secure Maradona. Zola’s up for it.
It would guarantee a full house.
My idea was to get Diego down and reunite the two of them. I have not given up. I met Diego’s agent. He says he is a very unpredictable individual and you have got no guarantee he will turn up. I am working on it but my hopes are fading fast.
Maybe you could get Ray Stewart as a stand in! Moving on to another subject, presumably any ground redevelopment is on hold.
No, no. We’ve got to be sensible about this. The most important thing is to invest in the first team and the new training ground. The new training ground is key to everything we are trying to achieve. We are exercising the option today or tomorrow to purchase the new training ground and then we will start the redevelopment phase 1. I have also put planning permission in for the East Stand to redevelop that. So the plans is invest in the training ground, invest in the first team, get regular Europa League football, then post 2012 we can assess the situation with regard to the viability of the Olympic Stadium. If that is not a goer we can redevelop the East Stand. Me, personally, I would sooner stay at the stadium. If we can redevelop and stay with all the history and the heritage, improve the transport infrastructure with the tube station, that would be better than moving to a new stadium. That’s just my personal view.
But you wouldn’t look at developing the East Stand before 2012?
No. It would be remiss not to examine the possible opportunities that 2012 may bring. They have made it clear there won’t be a football legacy and that it has to be an athletics legacy, but I think it would be remiss not to look and see if there are any opportunities that present themselves, and in the meantime invest in the training ground and the team and get Europa League football. If we invested in the East Stand now and there turned out to be opportunities post 2012 it would be a wrong decision.
Finally, are you going to keep Jeremy Nicholas [the match day announcer] next season?
[laughs]. Listen, I have meddled around with Jeremy Nicholas, I’ve meddled around with moving ‘Bubbles’. I was criticized for it, and I now understand there are certain things you just cannot touch! They have to remain! Forever!
THE END
Really enjoyed these interviews,thanks for the great reads.
Scott Duxbury’s interviews has been a very positive spin exercise. Good on him to keep us all informed on whats been going on at the club. I am sure he is chuffed to bits with the response it’s had.
He certainly has changed my mind a little.
One note of caution, it’s pretty worrying that as far as I can gather, very little money is going to be spent this summer. Theres very little new speculation in the media about players being linked. It’s a sign where the club is that nearly every other club will out spend us in the premiership, not only this year but the last summer as well. For all those who still seem to support the idea the previous chairman BG was good for this club, he certainly left the club with a legacy of dept never seen before. As every amount of money he was supposed to have put in was credited to the clubs depts, I cant see how he done anything good at all? Thanks to the present management team, it has gone mostly un-noticed the recouping of costs by selling fringe and 1st team players over the last two or three transfer windows. I wouldn’t be to suprised to see one or more go this summer as well just before the season or window closes. This charm offensive by Scott Duxbury may just have a sting in the tail.
Zola and Clark and Nani must continue to work their magic if we are to continue to progress this season. Not many teams are going to let go of good assets on loan if they can sell at a reasonable price now.
Lets hope I am worrying about nothing.
brilliant stuff ian.this interview has filled in some gaps and made at least one hammer very happy.mr duxbury has transformed in to a human again and i for one think we have a bright future with him at the helm.coyi
Great job with these interview Iain – thoroughly enjoyed reading them!
Thanks for these interviews Iain. A little surprised Kovac could still be signed permanently particularly as Dyer will hopefully be fit for the season. It’s not as if Kovac is a young up and coming player while there is supposedly a relatively large fee involved for a player that, in my opinion, did a steady job but no more.
Duxbury, Zola, Nani, Clarke, all working together without owner interference has a good vibe to it – Lets hope its able to continue for longer rather than shorter.
They appear to be working toward sensible objectives albeit without as much financial backing as might be desired.
Sensible objectives can be effective without large sums of money, whereas money is only effective if sensible objectives are already in place.
Things are looking a lot more stable, and a lot more organised, and I’m more optimistic than I’ve been for some time.
find it amazing how duxbury answerers vary totally, from different interviews i have read
Iain,thanks for the interviews .I still reckon we will sell Ashton -especially if we can get Balloteli in.What worries me is that Scott ‘i ‘ll never tell a lie to you ‘Duxbury says as long a player wants to play for us he will stay .What happens if say on the 24th of August Upson and Parker knock on Zola’s door and say for eg they want to go to Man City and Liverpool respectively ?.Can anyone shed light on the Mancini deal ?,i presume it’s off .Im afraid Mr Duxbury has a long way to go before he redeems himself in my eyes considering his pivotal role in bringing shame on our club regards the Tevez fiasco.
Nice one Ian and many thanks to Mr Duxbury for his honest answers, how about interviewing Frank Lampard snr next ? would be interesting to hear from him me thinks!.
The interview has been great Iain. Thanks.
I had my doubts about Dux (like many others here) but the more i read and hear…the more i’m starting to like the bloke.
Getting in Zola and Clarke has been the best thing anyone’s done for us in a long time (having supported the hammers since i was 4 years old, i’m 34 now) Clarke’s got our defence solid for once, because of Zola, the team is playing at times, some fantastic football. But i’m fearing the loss of Upson and possibly Ashton going.
We’ve yet to see what Ashton could do under Zola fully.
Anyway, here’s to another good season.. and let’s be honest it was a good season, despite not getting that last place.
Here’s looking forward to another one.
cheers
Oh and any chance hearing from Cottee? His thoughts on being our new Ambassador etc would be a good read Iain.
Nice one Iain good stuff!
Its obvious to me Upson’s off,if City dont get Terry.
You sould never mess around with the spine of your team,dont let Matty go!
Great work as usual Iain. i agree that your next interview should be with tony Cottee! i said it before on one of the previous interviews that i wasn’t one of the duxbury haters. he’s done a good job particularly recently and the insight he’s given into the club through these interviews shows just how hard it can be. working for a club you love with certain pressures to go against your own preferences and fans opinions. hats off right now he’s up in most people’s estimations and for the 1st time since i can remember everyone is believing in the project! how do i get a job that is that good?! Coyi!
Great interview Iain, thanks. Duxbury’s spin is quite believable compared to the right wing press’s views; let’s hope he’s right about keeping both Rob and Matty. We are definitely on the up with Clarke and Zola at the helm and with a couple more decent signings(if what little money we have is spent wisely), things look really bright this season.
coyi!
“I’ve meddled around with moving ‘Bubbles’”. Like not playing it at the start of last seasons Stoke game…tut tut.
Paul Millard there is a certain naievety amongst football fans. The fact of the matter is that whatever Dux do or didnt do, what ever he said or didnt say he did it to keep us in the premiership. There has been talk of people would have rathered we went down than put up with the stigma of the Tevez affair. Well lets be honest the only stigma comes from a bunch of sheffield unentitled fans and a gang of journalistic hacks who cant be bothered to get off their collective arses and either find a new story or accurately portray what went on with this one.
The news coverage was so one sided over the whole affair that the North Korean ambassador lodged a complaint against the bias of the reporting with the press complaints body.
The fact remains that it is impossible to decide a matter like this based on a private converation between two people. Any such conversation is wide open to misinterpretaion on both sides and is subject to different recollections in any after the fact questioning.
Say we had gone down with our integrity intact and our reputaion unblemished, who is to say we would have come back. Ask any leeds, leicster or southhampton fan if they would have done any different to us in our situation. I agree with Dux, I think Lord Griffiths ruling was illegal and that it would have eventually been over turned on a point of law. One mans opinion can not take precidence over a point of law. The problem was with the auditors, who would not sign off the accounts due to the compensation claim hanging over the club. If anything I would be launching a compensation claim against both them and Lord Griffiths for costing West Ham money. Bear in mind that the Premier League and the High Court found in our favour, so that is our governing body and the second highest court in the land looked at the evidence under the law and ruled in our favour.
Dux took the pragmatic view and settled the claim for the good of the club at the time. It takes a big man to admit guilt and accept the damage it did his personal reputation to protect the club when he and the club had previously been vindicated.
The only thing I would have done different is that I would have written Dux a nice fat cheque and then politely advised him to fall on his sword by admitting that it is possible that Kia’s lawyer misunderstoood him in what he said but that at the time he was acting without the knowledge or approval of the club and was infact acting in direct contravention of BGs instructions. It would have been virtually impossible for the blunts to persue Dux for compo and nothing he would have faced no charges. Then he could have set up a legal practice and who knows, he might have gotten a lot of work from WestHam. Maybe BG was too preoccupied at the time or maybe I am just much much more cynical.
Thank you Iain, enjoyed reading the interview.
Iain, to say we mostly enjoyed the articles is a massive understatement. I have been eagerly awaiting each installment. I liked the installments by the way, it meant I spent more time on each section. Thanks again for all your time. Next interview? I agree Cottee sounds good, but why not go for the very top and speak to Gianfranco or Clarke. Probably not an option but… that would be outstanding.
Tony Cottee is a hammer through and through and at one time blotted his copybook with the previous board when he made his feelings known publicaly on the way the club was going. This board and I suspect Scott Duxbury in particular is behind Cottee’s appointment as ambassador for the club and about time too. An interview with Tony Cottee and an insight into his outburst which led to him virtually being banned from Upton Park would be something plus how he sees his new role now.
Good interview. Nice to hear the bubbles are back for good along with Jeremy.
I hope we can get Green to sign up and stay along with Upson.
Thanks Iain.
irish hammer here …great interview!.
Thanks for the interview Iain! Great stuff.
This series of interviews has been awesome and if SD is the man that he says he is then we can also look forward to a great future. If everybody is fit then what a great squad we have with effectivly new signings in Ashton,Dyer and Gabbidon and if Behrami is back to shine once morenwho knows what we can do. If Upson wants to go then let Man City have him for an inflated price…He is good but not that good. Think it is a relevation for a CEO to be as open as this and it shows what was needed to bring Zola to the club and I am the first to admit that I was against it until I heard that Steve Clarke was coming too….That is why I am not being paid loads to make these decisions I guess as it has been a pleasure to be part of the new regime during the last year
Iain, superb interview, great insight into how SD sees the clubs stratgey. Suggestions to follow would be:
1) Zola and Clarke combined, see if their vision and Outlook is similar.
2) Nani.. we rarely seem to hear from him, but maybe this is the way he and the club wishes it to be.
3) TC, whats his new role and what does he hope to achieve for the club over the next few years.
4) A monthly interview, probably shorter than this one, with one of our players (Upson, Green and Parker would be good starts)… and asking proper questions, directly.. not like some of the usual drivel interviews we hear on tv.
5) A repeat of this with SD at Christmas and the same time next year to see if all he’s hoped for still holds true… or if anything has changed in any way.
Great work, keep it up…
PS, can’t wait now for the start of the new season.
Every Silver Lining has a Cloud eh Brooking still the best?
Even if Matty Upson and Lucas Neill go I’m still VERY excited about next season. I do think, however, the loss of Rob Green would be a major blow. The sort of player you stand virtually no chance of replacing.
This, and the KUMB interview, has been the best football read that I’ve had in years. Massive congratulations to you Iain for a job superbly done. Thanks muchly!
I’d love to hear from Trevor Brooking if you ever get the chance. Would love to hear his heart felt feelings about the club, the FA and football in general. Just a suggestion.
Have a great week all.
Cheers
Gav.
Iain, this has always been a blog I enjoy reading and participating in but this Duxberry interview series has really moved it up to another level. Yeah I’d agree with others that TC would a be a great idea for the next interview and after that who knows, after the way Duxberry has tranformed his image here maybe Terry Brown, Paul Ince, Neil Warnock, Robert Mugabe…..
I think Duxberry is in the process of doing a very good job in steering the club from difficult times and into a more professionally run and hopefully successful direction and, although I think we can trust him only slightly further than we can throw him (and the spurs thing still really pisses me off), the proof will be in the pudding and I do feel very very good about the upcoming season and beyond. Providing whoever eventually takes over doesn’t bring in their own people and hit the transfer market like posh spice in a shoe shop.
Big Thanks Iain- really couldnt afford it but this interview made me so optimistic about next season I just had to renew my season ticket, glad to have you on board Scott I don’t see it is as spin after your promises and principles were stuck to in January! I’d love a fans Q&A session with you before the season starts or mid-season??!!
Whatever happens with contract talks I think Rob Green will be here this season. There are probably two main factors involved:
1. He has three years left on his current deal
2. He has every chance of becoming first choice for England, go to the World Cup and enhance his reputation. This would mean that next summer he could attract offers from the big clubs who would pay him top dollar. If this doesn’t happen he can still negotiate a new, improved deal with West Ham.
Upson is a bit different. He’s a bit older and as an outfield player will probably not play for as long as a keeper so the time he has left at the top is limited to, I would guess, 3 or 4 years. If Man City, in particular, came in for him he could probably almost double his money (Wayne Bridge is reportedly on £90k per week) and that would be a very difficult deal for him to turn down.
Even so, we should do everything we can to keep them both as they really are two of the cornerstones of the team.
Iain:
Sincere thanks for providing an opportunity for genuine insight into the affairs of WHU.
Even if there was some spin included the overall series was excellent and Mr. Duxbury also deserves our thanks.
As the press fueled speculation season is in full swing we should be grateful for some informed comment and opinion.
Keep up the good .. work?
Thanks Iain, I, like so many others have really enjoyed the interview. I have doubted SD and his motives but this interview has gone along way towards giving me faith in what he is about. His work towards getting WHU actually united is so important. For to long we the fans have been at loggerheads with the board and occasionally the players but if we start to all pull in the same direction that alone will be worth points in a season and who knows we could even get some atmosphere back into the ground on match days. Once again thanks for a great read, your hard work is much appreciated.
I second that – meant to in my last post but got carried away!
I still have a degree of scepticism about SD due to his role in the Tevez affair but that’s starting to recede and, as the season progresses, I hope that will continue.
Thanks Iain, great interviews.
The thing here, I think you should be pushing, as you go more more interviews is the medium. Blogs allow for longer, fully quoted interviews where people can read the whole statements, understanding the full context.
I imagine if someone from a tabloid has done this interview, it would have gone something like this:
“Green to Arsenal”
West Ham Supremo, Scott Duxbury has given up all hope of retaining England goalkeeper, Rob Green as the club cannot afford his wages. As the World Cup approaches it is expected that Green will end up with Arsenal who can meet his Champions League ambitions.
Duxbury has been in discussions with Green’s agent but said “these discussions have stopped because of Green’s expectations”. We cannot break our wage structure he added.
SD: We have been in dialogue with Rob Green’s agent for many months with regard to a new contract. Those discussions have stopped because Rob has a certain expectation of what he wants from a contract, which I fully respect. We are trying to get as close to his expectations as we can but obviously we have our principles and our structures. The conversation will start again.
Brilliant stuff Iain, thanks.
Mr. Duxbury’s answers are exactly what I would have loved to hear from him. He sounds professional, down to earth, commited and interested in club and its fans. If only half of the Duxbury’s words are true, I am sure, there is a bright future for our awesome club.
The point is, that I will remain a little bit suspicious regarding the fella for some more time. He has been professional lier for years and I am afraid his answers may be just part of his new PR. Only time will say.
The fact remains though, that he took a huge risk with appointment of Gianfranco and he got it right. The trust they have in each other and problems they had to overcome together means, that their relationship should be seccond to none. Add Clarkey and Nani and we really have a professional team which we have been missing since Greenwood x Lyal era. Add the new generation of promissing kids which came through Tony Carr’s Academy and I do not remember the last time there were such an big optimism and expectations surrounding the club.
COME ON YOU IRONS !!!!!
If I could choose for the next interwiew I would love to see Bonzo or the wobbly faced Yido “Appy Arry” (both for different reasons obviously).
I think an interview with Curbishly would be fantastic, ask him about what his ambitions were, how he feels about Zolas ambitions. Also there would be much to discuss in regards to the players he signed, who he had in mind ofr the future and more about the reasons why he resigned…
Just a bit worried that the speculation about us signing Fortune won’t go away – as a 28 year old that would cost just short of £4m he does not seem the type of player to fit ‘the project’ – hopefully just another unsubstantiated media story!
Thanks Iain, the interviews made for interesting reading. It’s difficult to know how much was PR compared to the real behind the scenes situation, but at least it gives us a West Ham perspective, rather than the normal sources of info that we have to rely on. Let’s hope Green signs, not only because he is the best English keeper at the moment, but also he seems like a decent bloke himself. Agree with many others here that an interview with TC would prove enjoyable reading. COYI.
I can’t help but think of the pepperami advert:
“Behrami! He’s a bit of an animal!”
Thanks for the series of interviews, Iain, very interesting.
SD has certainly been well trained in PR, but he does come across as wanting to create something special at West Ham. My only concern are his comments re:Upson etc. The caveat “If a player wants to leave..” puts too much power in the players’ hands. If he is serious about the “Project” then Green, Upson (Neill can go as far as I am concerned), will be MADE to play another season. If we failed to qualify for Europa next season, then I would have no problem with them leaving to further their ambitions.
Great interviews Iain!! keep up the good work and thank you for keeping us all informed with the greatest West ham blog.
Just looked on the official website, great to see a picture of behrami running around at pre season training, can’t wait to see him again in a hammers shirt!!!
it’s pretty quiet on the transfer front I must say. Nice interviews Iain.
It mentions that the club is going out to Austria after that 12th of July Grays match. I’d obviously like the transfers sorted by then. Spence/Spector I believe can cover right back, but some cover up front wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Whilst, like everyone else, I keep an eye on incoming transfers the worst case scenario is that we will still have three ‘new’ international players in our squad – if Ashton, Dyer and Behrami all start the season running then, with the players who finished last season, things don’t look too bad!
SKY SPORTS 1 – TONIGHT 9.30pm
WHERE ARE THEY NOW with Paula Di Canio.
Paulo talks about his career with Shef Wed and the hammers, the Paul Alcock pushing incident and the barnie with Nigel Winterburn – but mostly he talks about his love for West Ham (and Harry !?) – I LOVE PDC!!!!
Paula (!?) Di Canio….Paulo’s better looking younger sister i think!
great interview series, has helped with the football-lull-induced boredom. thanks.
Iain Thank you very Much for sharing this interview with us.
Thank you Scott Duxbury for being open and giving us more insight.
Project football will be another first for WHU and the (claret &) blue print for all clubs to follow.
COYI!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for the heads up, Jolly – I’ll definitely tune in for that one!
E1 & others may remember that I was setting up a new project. I have created an online shop for West Ham related casual clothing. Please take a look and let me have your feedback. You can find it at;
http://www.four-four-two-footballshirts.com
So as not to hijack this thread, could you please post feedback at the website.
Many thanks.
(Iain – I hope you don’t mind me posting that link, but I really need some feedback from proper West Ham supporters)
Cheers Jolly – Unfortunately I missed it but will be on the look out for a repeat. Was the program any good?