[Archived] West Ham Fined £5.5m

[jim mk2]

Get this!

Listening to the phone in on 5Live last night lots of disgruntled WHU fans were phoning in calling for Curbishleys head on a platter. One cockney bloke incredibly claimed that WHU "deserved" to be in the top 6 of the Prem!

1. 3 FA cup wins in their entire history, 1 Charity Shield and one now defunct Cup Winners Cup! No league title ever and personally I cannot rem em ever finishing higher than 7th (btw relegated the year after).

2. By everything that is right, decent, honest and honourable they should be a division lower!

Hangover from 1966 'cos West Ham won the World Cup din' they, cor blimey love a duck.

Plus lovey-dovey metropolitan media give them far more column inches that they are worth because they are a London club (same applies to Spuds).

Meanwhile little 'ol flat-cap wearing clog dancing dirty barstewards Blackburn Rovers continue to outperform them all.

Dontcha luv it ?

[Jammy]

If you ever meet a west ham fan though they really do think they are as good as Man U and Arsenal

I work with one and know 2 others and fully agree with the above statement. I really do hope we finish above them this season.

[Ronin]

Well, Curbishley will buy over-priced and injury prone players. With the struggles he's had since getting them in at the Whammers, who didn't see that happening

[waggy]

west ham the media darlings get away with this fiasco,what if it was the other way round,sheeff utd would be playing in division 3

[thecomebackid]

west ham the media darlings get away with this fiasco,what if it was the other way round,sheeff utd would be playing in division 3

Every time I've seen them this season, they've scored cakey late goals (Solana at Fulham); survived blatant handball claims (Lucas Neil at Anfield last night) or avoided clear red cards (Carlton Cole's forearm smash into Alonso in the same match).

That is just from very recent memory, but who can forget last season's incredible run of luck?

They appear to have reached the point where they are beginning to feel that they are immune to the whims of Providence, hence Neil's blatant handball in the Liverpool penalty area last night.

Once fate will cease to indulge them, their luck has to run out...anyone for nemesis?

[roversmum]

And please let us be the ones to begin administering it.............................

[Fife Rover]

And please let us be the ones to begin administering it.............................

Fat chance of that happening Mum. With all the media, the EPL, the FA, The ref and two assistants all behind them what chance do we have?

[Rathbone Market]

Get this!

Listening to the phone in on 5Live last night lots of disgruntled WHU fans were phoning in calling for Curbishleys head on a platter. One cockney bloke incredibly claimed that WHU "deserved" to be in the top 6 of the Prem!

1. 3 FA cup wins in their entire history, 1 Charity Shield and one now defunct Cup Winners Cup! No league title ever and personally I cannot rem em ever finishing higher than 7th (btw relegated the year after).

2. By everything that is right, decent, honest and honourable they should be a division lower!

West Ham fan here. Been a lurker/member for a while ever since I stumbled across this site before we played you quite a whilr back now.

Anyway, West Ham has caught the illness.

Going to West Ham was always about having a laugh with your mates with great away days and the odd cup run. WINNING WAS NOT THE POINT, we always had a laugh regardless.With the injection of money the Icelanders have brought many people's expectations have risen beyond reason. We live in a society where everyone wants success yesterday- there is no patience or reason any more. This is even more evident in South-East/London. Although this season was always about consolidation after our great escape last year people ignore that and demand more now. It's lunacy to expect us to be challenging for Europe all of a sudden.

West Ham is now following the route of foreign investment, ground moving and so on. I for one do not like what this brings. The soul of football and what made going to West Ham special is being lost. Now you go to a game and the crowd get on the backs of the players from the off. Success is the only option now in many quarters. This is not what being a West Ham was about for me.

Possibly the biggest issue Curbishley doesn't seem to be able to deal with is entertaining the crowd. At West Ham we traditionally do not expect to win but expect exciting, entertaining football played the right way. Whilst we are better than others (Bolton being a prime example) our football this year has been mind-numbing. As much flair as a breeze block. West Ham fans hate this despite the fact that the boss is West Ham through and through he has never been accepted totally and there is increasing criticism. His knack of buying expensive, injury prone palyers doesn't help either. Last night he played 4-5-1 with Cole up front on his own. We were never going to score. He brought on Ashton and Zamora on when the game was lost already.

I'm worried about us and worried about the direction of our football. I see both our clubs as being at risk of being changed beyond recognition in the not too distant future.

Rant over and quality site by the way.

R

[Ozz]

Excellently put sir. Curbs is obviously told-Results first, points mean pennies in the bank, which is what the Eggman and his chums came into the game for. Pleasing to the eye football is secondary to the accumulation of cash. Which is why I'm not too concerned we have not been plucked yet, and chuffed Uncle Jack put such stringent safeguards on the future of the club as part of his legacy.

[Russ]

Well put Rathbone, I have to agree with what you say about the soul gradually disappearing from clubs.

It's a catch 22 for me as I wrestle with my conscience; I want us to stay as we are - a fantastically well run club (even if this is not widely recognised at times), but on the other hand if you don't have the huge financial backing that is now needed you will only fall behind.

I just prefer things as they are now, there is more satisfaction for me in seeing youngsters and unknowns being plucked from obscurity and given the opportunity - it's a chance for the manager to show his skills.

I think I'd lose interest if we had a squad more akin to Chelsea, ok, so they have a group of world class players but they're nearly all just bought in and clumped together.

Where is the satisfaction in just buying all the best players up and having two or three team’s worth of top players?

For some fans maybe that alone is enough to keep them happy - bragging rights etc. but I just think you should have to earn it a little bit more.

At Rovers we have small squad but I think I feel I somehow have a closer affinity to the team, some of our players appear truly grateful just be there and feel like they owe the club and fans a debt of gratitude, people can relate to that, maybe more than to aloof superstars.

We know they are not just here for the money as they could get better deals elsewhere and I think it is down to their appreciation of the close family atmosphere at the club, and there is obviously a lot to be said for that.

In a nutshell I would rather settle for a 10th place finish every season and keep things being run as they are, rather than be another sell out club with less character and soul; even if it meant seriously challenging for champs league places with massive investment.

I feel we earn our current success and I would rather that than the false sense of buying your way to the top.

I think others would disagree and prefer the big money and champs league but hey, everyone's different right??????

[gumboots]

Well put Rathbone, I have to agree with what you say about the soul gradually disappearing from clubs.

It's a catch 22 for me as I wrestle with my conscience; I want us to stay as we are - a fantastically well run club (even if this is not widely recognised at times), but on the other hand if you don't have the huge financial backing that is now needed you will only fall behind.

I just prefer things as they are now, there is more satisfaction for me in seeing youngsters and unknowns being plucked from obscurity and given the opportunity - it's a chance for the manager to show his skills.

I think I'd lose interest if we had a squad more akin to Chelsea, ok, so they have a group of world class players but they're nearly all just bought in and clumped together.

Where is the satisfaction in just buying all the best players up and having two or three team’s worth of top players?

For some fans maybe that alone is enough to keep them happy - bragging rights etc. but I just think you should have to earn it a little bit more.

At Rovers we have small squad but I think I feel I somehow have a closer affinity to the team, some of our players appear truly grateful just be there and feel like they owe the club and fans a debt of gratitude, people can relate to that, maybe more than to aloof superstars.

We know they are not just here for the money as they could get better deals elsewhere and I think it is down to their appreciation of the close family atmosphere at the club, and there is obviously a lot to be said for that.

In a nutshell I would rather settle for a 10th place finish every season and keep things being run as they are, rather than be another sell out club with less character and soul; even if it meant seriously challenging for champs league places with massive investment.

I feel we earn our current success and I would rather that than the false sense of buying your way to the top.

I think others would disagree and prefer the big money and champs league but hey, everyone's different right??????

In principle I agree, although I'd like to get my hopes up by sometimes finishing higher too. I'm not a big fan of Champions League football as it's not got the same feel about it as Premier league games. You have to aspire to it because the players want it and for the kudos it brings, but I too like the feel around our club that we don't have too many big time charlies and that most of our players are approachable family orientated guys who are not here just because we're a big name club but because here they can play their football, improve their game without living in a goldfish bowl like Newcastle. I'd like more money to feel that we are secure and our manager can compete for players he really wants, but not the mega bucks that demands more and more cash is milked from the club and flows into the pockets of investors from the fans. Dream land I know!

[Fife Rover]

Slowly, ever so slowly the genuine football fans are waking up to the way they have been conned, fleeced, and taken for mugs by the money chasing spivs that are now running football. This is not just in the EPL but is happening all over the world. The only thing that matters to them is controlling the fans and feeding them with an ever increasing diet of crap which they pass off as real football. The TV companies are all at it too, and the average fan is being robbed blind by the greedy players and their agents.

But there is hope yet for our beloved game. As more and more fans come to this realisation and react to let the clubs and the Prem Leagues know how they feel, things will slowly get better. It will take a while, but I am confident that one day the game will be given back to the true fans, and we will all be able to enjoy it as it used to be; a proper openly competitive SPORT. Instead of the the corrupt sham that we are all supposed to tamely turn up and pay through the nose for now.

Sadly it will not happen in my life time; I am well into my 70's now, but at least I have the consolation that I have seen quite a few years of genuinely entertaining football from the end of WW2 to the late 80's early 90's. Including many a cracking match between Rovers and West Ham.

[Russ]

In principle I agree, although I'd like to get my hopes up by sometimes finishing higher too. I'm not a big fan of Champions League football as it's not got the same feel about it as Premier league games. You have to aspire to it because the players want it and for the kudos it brings, but I too like the feel around our club that we don't have too many big time charlies and that most of our players are approachable family orientated guys who are not here just because we're a big name club but because here they can play their football, improve their game without living in a goldfish bowl like Newcastle. I'd like more money to feel that we are secure and our manager can compete for players he really wants, but not the mega bucks that demands more and more cash is milked from the club and flows into the pockets of investors from the fans. Dream land I know!

I guess that is the dream - the happy middle ground!!

I think I was just saying that if I had to choose between the two I'd go for keeping as we are.

The chances of another Jack are non-existent, if there was another interested millionaire/billionaire Rovers fan out there they'd have made their move by now. That of course would be perfect.

Really, I think a smaller scale of investor than an Abramovich type would be better for us, someone who could afford to give Hughes even £10m a season rather than £50m. We just need enough so we could be reasonably competitve in the transfer maket, while as you say, staying secure in the league and not risking the financial future of the club.

All most fans really want is an owner who is in it just for the fun of it, who can afford to lose a bit of money and not need a return on their investment. They however, are few and far between.

[colin]

Rathbone,

Good post, I don't think you'll get anyone on here disagreeing with you.

Colin

[philipl]

There are far fewer old fashioned English pulse racing games than there were only a few years ago. This might be to do with foreign influence but then some of the best no quarter given ganmes this season have involved teams almost exclusively made up of non-British players.

In the past, the most memorable games have involved catching opponents on an "off" day, a new player or two completely surprising the opposition or there being some sort of marked imbalance between the sides.

These days, with prozone, fitness monitoring to the nth degree and video analysis of players worldwide, individual star players are systematically neutralised by the opposition, nobody comes as a surprise package any more and if a player develops a new trick he will get at most one half to show it off and no time to perfect it without it being marked and countered.

There is a gulf between the top and bottom halves of the Prem and another gulf within the top half of the Prem and far fewer surprise results but it comes down to the systematisation of football- Big 4 clubs just have that bit too much for 5th to 10th placed clubs who in turn have that bit too much for 11th to 19th placed clubs and there usually is a complete fall guy- this year Derby. It is reflected in the league table:

Arsenal, Man U and Chelsea's records so far this season would have seen them as runaway league leaders if any one of them had done the same in the early '90s (Rovers lost 7 times when winning the Premiership in '95/6- the same number of defeats as we have this season). The multiple of points between top and bottom of the Prem is 6.5 at the moment- in the Championship it is 2. The old mantra was about 40 points needed for safety= quite possibly 40 points will get 12th place this season whilst 60 points will get you nowhere much.

With systems being worked on so much, having a bit too much is producing near inevitable wins in most games.

Again look at Rovers this season- draws at home to Arsenal and Liverpool, away at Chelsea, home and away against Everton and away at Villa are our badges of honour against the top clubs. The win at home against City is our only victory against clubs in the top half.

Go into the bottom half, and there are Rovers winning doubles all over the place.

Then ask yourself, which is the most exciting and entertaining game the Rovers have played this season and for the neutral it was the 5-3 defeat at Wigan. A classic case of the little club catching the big club (and in our case, unsuspected weaknesses post injury in two of our "big" players) on the day.

But that was one game all season.

Personally, I don't mind that much because I love watching the ball control and passing movements in the modern Premiership and I don't need the ball pin balling around the box to think it was a good game.

But what is clear from many contributions is that most supporters want the blood and thunder and penalty box action of the old days and that is the anethema of the current professionalisation of football.

[Paul]

But what is clear from many contributions is that most supporters want the blood and thunder and penalty box action of the old days and that is the anethema of the current professionalisation of football.

I've been in Holland the last couple of days, and talked with a number of people about football. I was interested to find everyone, without exception, telling me how we have the best football in the world. How the "English"* teams always play to win and how much better it is than to watch continental football. Of course these people are watching TV games and don't have to put up with Bolton v Boro on a wet Wednesday. I was also interested to hear many Dutch fans think the English game is heading for trouble as we now have so few English players and managers. They saw this as a big negative. Most had heard of Rovers but didn't know where Blackburn is geographically, one guy had us down as Portsmouth's neighbours!

Talking about Dutch football I was told the bulk of fans are young men and there is no possibility of considering football a family affair or entertainment. Quite simply the htreat of violence is too great for many people to consider going to a game.

A few Dutch fans have Hughes down as a shoe-in for the Old Trafford job.

* in the loosest possible sense

[philipl]

I've been in Holland the last couple of days, and talked with a number of people about football. I was interested to find everyone, without exception, telling me how we have the best football in the world. How the "English"* teams always play to win and how much better it is than to watch continental football. Of course these people are watching TV games and don't have to put up with Bolton v Boro on a wet Wednesday. I was also interested to hear many Dutch fans think the English game is heading for trouble as we now have so few English players and managers. They saw this as a big negative. Most had heard of Rovers but didn't know where Blackburn is geographically, one guy had us down as Portsmouth's neighbours!

Talking about Dutch football I was told the bulk of fans are young men and there is no possibility of considering football a family affair or entertainment. Quite simply the htreat of violence is too great for many people to consider going to a game.

A few Dutch fans have Hughes down as a shoe-in for the Old Trafford job.

* in the loosest possible sense

Actually Paul, they quite possibly will be watching Boro v Bolton on a wet Wednesday.

I am sure I manage to see far more of the "lesser clubs" by living outside the UK than I would living in the UK. The BBC and ITV seem to be the biggest sinners when it comes vdown to grovelling and scraping to the Big $ oops 4.

[jim mk2]

I am sure I manage to see far more of the "lesser clubs" by living outside the UK than I would living in the UK. .

And you obviously see far more of Rovers too ! When did you last visit Ewood phliip ? (not expecting an honest answer)

[brfcjon]

West Ham fan here. Been a lurker/member for a while ever since I stumbled across this site before we played you quite a whilr back now.

Anyway, West Ham has caught the illness.

Going to West Ham was always about having a laugh with your mates with great away days and the odd cup run. WINNING WAS NOT THE POINT, we always had a laugh regardless.With the injection of money the Icelanders have brought many people's expectations have risen beyond reason. We live in a society where everyone wants success yesterday- there is no patience or reason any more. This is even more evident in South-East/London. Although this season was always about consolidation after our great escape last year people ignore that and demand more now. It's lunacy to expect us to be challenging for Europe all of a sudden.

West Ham is now following the route of foreign investment, ground moving and so on. I for one do not like what this brings. The soul of football and what made going to West Ham special is being lost. Now you go to a game and the crowd get on the backs of the players from the off. Success is the only option now in many quarters. This is not what being a West Ham was about for me.

Possibly the biggest issue Curbishley doesn't seem to be able to deal with is entertaining the crowd. At West Ham we traditionally do not expect to win but expect exciting, entertaining football played the right way. Whilst we are better than others (Bolton being a prime example) our football this year has been mind-numbing. As much flair as a breeze block. West Ham fans hate this despite the fact that the boss is West Ham through and through he has never been accepted totally and there is increasing criticism. His knack of buying expensive, injury prone palyers doesn't help either. Last night he played 4-5-1 with Cole up front on his own. We were never going to score. He brought on Ashton and Zamora on when the game was lost already.

I'm worried about us and worried about the direction of our football. I see both our clubs as being at risk of being changed beyond recognition in the not too distant future.

Rant over and quality site by the way.

R

Top Post there mate. That goes for WHAM as it does for many other clubs. Not only in the UK but around europe.

[philipl]

Sheff U and West Ham start their arbitration over Sheff U's claim for £30m to £50m compensation today. It is expected to last 10 days and the outcome to be known by the end of June.

Not quite the end as Joorabchian's law suit for £7.1m against West Ham still has to have its day in Court although no doubt the arbitration will have a bearing.

[malk]

Some awesome posts in here peeps.

I'm bang on with the above concerns for the game. I don't get to Ewood as often as I should myself (my excuse, for what it's worth, is playing rugby on most Saturdays) but I'm becoming less and less bothered by it. The inevitablility of it all has sucked the excitement out of the league as a whole though games taken by themselves still get the pulse racing. What really bothers me is that so many fans are conned into thinking the tv deal is good for the game. Pretty much all clubs in the premiership get the same money so it isn't an advantage at all. The extra cash just maintains the staus quo...

And who pays for the money given to the clubs by Murdoch... us muggins fans for shelling out god knows how much per month for sky sports. Even for a cheap club to support like ours 250 quid for a season ticket plus 12*34 for sky sports comes to a whopping 658 quid!

The first thing I would suggest is to stop talking about how much footballers (and managers) are paid per week. For some reason we don't rationalise 20 grand a week into the million pounds a year it is.

Oh, and cancel your sky subscription, surely there are better ways to find football to watch...

[thenodrog]

Oh, and cancel your sky subscription, surely there are better ways to find football to watch...

ay, there's the rub.......