English Premiership; Saturday, April 24, 2010; Upton Park, East London
West Ham Utd. 3 Wigan Athletic 2
Hurrah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was the win that effectively sealed our survival to enjoy a new season of fear, despondency, angst, injury and lack of clarity. Watching this game intently, while keeping one eye on a screen at the other end of the bar to see how Hull City was doing, Hull being our major rivals for the last survival spot in the table. Of course, West Ham did not make it easy for themselves (it wouldn’t be West Ham if they did), going down 0-1 after four minutes thanks to an own-goal from our defender Jonathan Spector. Spector receives a lot of unfair comments. He’s American, you see, but in his defence, he plays for a Premiership team (even if it is one as bad as us) and three West Ham managers in a row have had confidence in him over the last four seasons; in fact, he is one of the team’s longest-serving players…but anyway, he did his part throughout the rest of the game, when easily his head could have dropped (football cliché for a player who performs the rest of the fixture in a manner of merely going through the motions). A great move then occurred between Araujo Ilan to Carlton Cole, Cole weaving through several players and passing back to Ilan for the first goal; this was just after Cole had a great run and shot foiled on the line by an outstretched boot, which also resulted in the Hull goalkeeper continuing to play despite 15 minutes later needing nine stitches in his chin and cheek. Tough people these footballers. That injury resulted in five minutes of extra time at the end of the first half, and just as it was about to close, Mark Noble curled a brilliant free kick off the despairing hand and then off the crossbar, kindly dropping down for Radoslav Kovac to head into an unguarded net. The second half started the same way as the first, with Wigan scoring. Everyone was going crazy, as—and this happened for Wigan’s first goal, too—the corner-kicker (does everyone know what a corner is? It’s when the ball goes out of play across the line at the end of the pitch, not the side, and with the last contact on the ball being off a defender; thus, the attacking side gets to sail in a ball from the corner spot) not placing the ball in the corner quadrant. It was clearly out, or with perhaps with the merest contact with the chalked half-circle…the ball went in, of course, and we all started getting butterflies in our stomachs. The pain was a little offset by events on the other screen that showed Sunderland were winning 0-1 and Hull missed a penalty kick, the ball hitting the post from the boot of the normally clinical Jimmy Bullard. Then with 13 minutes to go, Guillermo Franco cushioned a header down to the feet of Scott Parker, who took two steps forward and literally cannoned the ball into the back of the net. The bar was shaking. For the next 13 minutes + 4 extra time, West Ham threw every limb in front of every ball, and when they got possession, they smashed the ball as far forward as they could. These minutes feel like hours, Our goalkeeper was immense as always, saving a colossal save in the first half that would have seen Wigan take a probably unassailable 0-2 lead and again in the second half from a free-kick attempt that he had to have seen at the last moment. When the final whistle went, relief was palpable, and then a minute later we saw that the Hull result had stayed the same.
What Happens Now? Terry Ruminates.
It has been clear that West Ham have not been good enough this season, but we have survived. Well, I say that, but there still is a chance that we will go down, but only if Hull win their next two games 6-0 and 6-0 and we lose 6-0 and 6-0, which ain’t going to happen, even to West Ham. We were saved by there being three teams even worse than us. Hull will now be in financial meltdown, its captain already starting to blame the team’s past administration, although most of his thoughts were probably on the fact that he is currently on a huge weekly wage but not good enough to play for any other Premiership team, except, perhaps, West Ham. And there are two games to go, so West Ham could technically finish 14th, which would not surprise me. We did that in 2006/07, our Great Escape, with Señor Carlos Tévez, narrowly avoiding the drop but ending up 15th. West Ham’s chairman talks a little too much, his latest Words to the Wise stating how in his opinion everyone in the team, except for Scott Parker, is up for sale but then following that up with the illogical statement that he wants to add to the team, not take away from it. At least they will put some money behind the team now…being relegated to the Championship (the division below, obviously) is massively disabilitating…they say that the team who gets promoted in the Play Offs, i.e., goes the other way, wins a game that is worth £50 million…in other words, Hull stand to lose that in television and rights money. Some teams just are not big enough ever to rebound, England not having the same system as you have here for American football, with drafts, etc., and the worst team technically having the ability to select the best new player.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Players Who Play for Your Favourite Team? No. 3—Scott Parker
Terence Baker Fearlessly Finds Out.
No. 3—Scott Parker
Scott Parker is without doubt the man of the moment. He scores few goals, but when he does, they tend to be spectacular, a pattern he showed at Charlton, Chelsea and Newcastle, his previous clubs. He’s been at West Ham now for three seasons, and our team definitely plays around him. Another football cliché meaning that every move forward tends to go through his presence in the midfield, and it really is a presence. He was suspended for two games before the Wigan match, and you notice his absence immediately. He will definitely get every honour this year…Supporters’ Player of the Year (he won that last season, too); Players’ Player of the Year, even probably the captain’s armband for next season. He has played for England, too, but with Frank Lampard (Chelsea) and Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), he is unlikely to get to play for the nation any time soon, more’s the pity.
No. 3—Scott Parker
Scott Parker is without doubt the man of the moment. He scores few goals, but when he does, they tend to be spectacular, a pattern he showed at Charlton, Chelsea and Newcastle, his previous clubs. He’s been at West Ham now for three seasons, and our team definitely plays around him. Another football cliché meaning that every move forward tends to go through his presence in the midfield, and it really is a presence. He was suspended for two games before the Wigan match, and you notice his absence immediately. He will definitely get every honour this year…Supporters’ Player of the Year (he won that last season, too); Players’ Player of the Year, even probably the captain’s armband for next season. He has played for England, too, but with Frank Lampard (Chelsea) and Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), he is unlikely to get to play for the nation any time soon, more’s the pity.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
English Premiership; Monday, April 19, 2010
English Premiership; Monday, April 19, 2010; Anfield, Liverpool
Liverpool 3 West Ham Utd. 0
There is no shame losing to Liverpool (do I say that about most teams?), but by all accounts, we were sloppy. One commentator said we played like a Championship team, and that does not mean we're about to win something, it means we're of the quality to play in the division below the one we're struggling in. The first Liverpool goal was scored by ex-Hammer Yossi Benayoun, a fantastic player, an Israeli, who refused to celebrate his goal, and again, this is something that also happens far too much, that is, ex-players scoring against us and refusing to jump up and down or skid across the watered pitch towards their fans.
Then all West Ham eyes turned to yesterday's match, a catch-up fixture, the reason I have waited so long to update the blog (sorry, I know you wait with anxious anticipation, to see what the outcome was between Aston Villa and Hull, Hull being three points behind us and occupying 18th spot, that is the last relegation spot. Thankfully, they were abject, Villa going to Hull's ground and beating them easily 0-2. That relieves some pressure, and manager Gianfranco Zola must use it to bang home the fact that if we beat Wigan on Saturday (the game is at Upton Park, that is, home) then we stand every possibility of surviving what is frankly a pitiful season. With three games to go, all we can get is 40 points (and we'll not do that). The last time we went down 2002/03 we gained 42 points.
There is much speculation that even if we do survive, Zola's job is in jeopardy, but this looks to me like lazy journalism. Not all the woe has been his fault, we've had injuries and new owners, and perhaps more importantly, his contract is long. but when any manager has had a hard time, out the journalists trot the usual suspects of the unemployed, the underemployed or the foreign-employed, so the names of Martin Jol, Steve McClaren and Avram Grant, even former manager Alan Pardew.
Liverpool 3 West Ham Utd. 0
There is no shame losing to Liverpool (do I say that about most teams?), but by all accounts, we were sloppy. One commentator said we played like a Championship team, and that does not mean we're about to win something, it means we're of the quality to play in the division below the one we're struggling in. The first Liverpool goal was scored by ex-Hammer Yossi Benayoun, a fantastic player, an Israeli, who refused to celebrate his goal, and again, this is something that also happens far too much, that is, ex-players scoring against us and refusing to jump up and down or skid across the watered pitch towards their fans.
Then all West Ham eyes turned to yesterday's match, a catch-up fixture, the reason I have waited so long to update the blog (sorry, I know you wait with anxious anticipation, to see what the outcome was between Aston Villa and Hull, Hull being three points behind us and occupying 18th spot, that is the last relegation spot. Thankfully, they were abject, Villa going to Hull's ground and beating them easily 0-2. That relieves some pressure, and manager Gianfranco Zola must use it to bang home the fact that if we beat Wigan on Saturday (the game is at Upton Park, that is, home) then we stand every possibility of surviving what is frankly a pitiful season. With three games to go, all we can get is 40 points (and we'll not do that). The last time we went down 2002/03 we gained 42 points.
There is much speculation that even if we do survive, Zola's job is in jeopardy, but this looks to me like lazy journalism. Not all the woe has been his fault, we've had injuries and new owners, and perhaps more importantly, his contract is long. but when any manager has had a hard time, out the journalists trot the usual suspects of the unemployed, the underemployed or the foreign-employed, so the names of Martin Jol, Steve McClaren and Avram Grant, even former manager Alan Pardew.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
English Premiership; Saturday, April 3, 2010 & Saturday, April 10, 2010
English Premiership; Saturday, April 3, 2010; Goodison Park. Liverpool
Everton 2 West Ham Utd. 2
English Premiership; Saturday, April 10, 2010; Upton Park, East London
West Ham Utd. 1 Sunderland 0
Are these the two results that lift West Ham out of the gloaming? The Hammers dug deep and came back twice against high-flying Everton, despite Mido missing a penalty and his first potential goal for us and the team going behind twice. When West Ham went down 2-1 with five minutes to go, it must have felt like the death-blow on a season of under-achievement, but then Julian Faubert floated in a delightful header that Araujo Ilan, our Brazilian, launched towards, heading in a wonder equaliser.
Then a week later, we secured a magical three points against a tough Sunderland side featuring ex-Hammer Anton Ferdinand. Our goal again came courtesy of Ilan, who poked a Carlton Cole flick-on past the goalkeeper that came from a deep lob from Manuel da Costa. There were some tense minutes and furious defending in the last part of the game, and the relief was evident when the final whistle went.
Meanwhile, my venue for these great games has undergone some earth-moving reverberations. It is all speculation, but it seems the bar was fined for allegedly serving alcohol to underage fans (that’ll probably be Arsenal supporters, who have the average age of 14). This fine was passed on to staff, who, understandably, did not like the plan, so people have left and one even, apparently, spent a night in jail. So fans of some teams are boycotting the place. Who says the only drama is on the pitch?
Everton 2 West Ham Utd. 2
English Premiership; Saturday, April 10, 2010; Upton Park, East London
West Ham Utd. 1 Sunderland 0
Are these the two results that lift West Ham out of the gloaming? The Hammers dug deep and came back twice against high-flying Everton, despite Mido missing a penalty and his first potential goal for us and the team going behind twice. When West Ham went down 2-1 with five minutes to go, it must have felt like the death-blow on a season of under-achievement, but then Julian Faubert floated in a delightful header that Araujo Ilan, our Brazilian, launched towards, heading in a wonder equaliser.
Then a week later, we secured a magical three points against a tough Sunderland side featuring ex-Hammer Anton Ferdinand. Our goal again came courtesy of Ilan, who poked a Carlton Cole flick-on past the goalkeeper that came from a deep lob from Manuel da Costa. There were some tense minutes and furious defending in the last part of the game, and the relief was evident when the final whistle went.
Meanwhile, my venue for these great games has undergone some earth-moving reverberations. It is all speculation, but it seems the bar was fined for allegedly serving alcohol to underage fans (that’ll probably be Arsenal supporters, who have the average age of 14). This fine was passed on to staff, who, understandably, did not like the plan, so people have left and one even, apparently, spent a night in jail. So fans of some teams are boycotting the place. Who says the only drama is on the pitch?
Why did Terry not post a VIWHUI newsletter last week?
I apologise for my absence, again, but I went to Turkey for a vacation. I discovered we had won—I saw a league table in an Istanbul newspaper, so saw we had gained three points, although I did not know the score—while having a coffee in the district of Beyuğlo. I went to Istanbul for two days. It is wonderful, but after seeing a few A List sights—Blue Mosque; Haghia Sofya, etc.—I ran from the Topkapi Palace, so large are the shuffling groups standing behind guides clutching umbrellas, and discovered outlying districts such as Fener, Balat and Edirnekapi, the former of which we ate in a first-story restaurant where locals bought us raki and invited us to a sing-along with clarinet, and the latter in which we discovered a shop selling honey on the comb. Then we flew to Southern Anatolia, to the small city of Gaziantep, which translates as “Warrior Pistachio” and took a bus the next day to Şanlıurfa (“Glorious”), which was even better. This was a town of Kurds all wearing violet headscarves and offering small cups of tea in tulip-shaped glass every time we even neared them. Hospitality in this region is amazing, and I was not rude enough to wonder how all this tea was paid for. It goes like this: “Çay?” That is, chai—tea. And when you say, yes, please, tea is called for and arrives. The bringer of the tea disappears, and at no time is money transferred. It was all mysterious and wonderful. Maybe there is a monthly fee for unlimited tea? Then we headed south to Harran, which claims to be the oldest, continuously inhabited place in the world, where Abraham and Job once walked. Now it has Harran Culture House I and Harran Culture House II, beehive-shaped houses, a ruined, tall minaret, camels, shepherds, hoopoes, owls and calm. We drove on stony roads to the border with Syria (we did not have a visa so could not cross) and up to Mardin, where we were invited into a house by the elderly women who owned it, after she saw us admire her door. From her roof all of Mesopotamia was unfurled in front of us. We crossed the Euphrates and dragged our hands through the Tigres. Then we headed north through Batman (who could resist), put the car on a ferry and drove to the majestic mountaintop statues of Nemrut Daği, which were built by Antiochius approximately 2.000 years ago.
Past Players Who Played for Your Favourite Team?
Terence Baker Fearlessly Finds Out.
No. 4—Trevor Brooking
No player looms larger in West Ham history than Trevor Brooking, who played for one club and one club only, your beloved Hammers. Born in Barking, yards from the ground, Sir Trevor (he was knighted in 2004), he played his first game for the team in 1967, his last in 1984, and was the sole goal scorer in our last trophy win, the 1980 FA Cup Final against Arsenal, who my brother supports (why? how?). I remembered it as though it happened 30 years ago…Alan Devonshire raced up the left touchline, crossed the ball in to David Cross, whose shot was saved by the Arsenal goalkeeper, Pat Jennings, but only to Stuart Pearson, whose miss-kick glances off Brooking’s head and into the back of the net. Later, Sir Trevor opened the Erith branch of Lipton’s Supermarket (yes, it was not Beckhamesque glamorous in those days), where my Mum met him and got my official FA Cup program signed. My Mum liked him as he was/is polite and has nine “O” levels, excellent academic qualifications, rare in football players, who, let’s face it, are not paid and worshipped because they can understand the intrinsic difficulties of scientific theorems. When West Ham were last promoted to the Premiership (2005/06), Sir Trevor watched the game at Nevada Smiths, because the England national side (he now works for the English Football Association as Director of Football Development) was playing an exhibition game later that day at Giants Stadium). We all got to meet him after the 1-0 victory against Preston North End, and he is a top geezer, as we say back home.
No. 4—Trevor Brooking
No player looms larger in West Ham history than Trevor Brooking, who played for one club and one club only, your beloved Hammers. Born in Barking, yards from the ground, Sir Trevor (he was knighted in 2004), he played his first game for the team in 1967, his last in 1984, and was the sole goal scorer in our last trophy win, the 1980 FA Cup Final against Arsenal, who my brother supports (why? how?). I remembered it as though it happened 30 years ago…Alan Devonshire raced up the left touchline, crossed the ball in to David Cross, whose shot was saved by the Arsenal goalkeeper, Pat Jennings, but only to Stuart Pearson, whose miss-kick glances off Brooking’s head and into the back of the net. Later, Sir Trevor opened the Erith branch of Lipton’s Supermarket (yes, it was not Beckhamesque glamorous in those days), where my Mum met him and got my official FA Cup program signed. My Mum liked him as he was/is polite and has nine “O” levels, excellent academic qualifications, rare in football players, who, let’s face it, are not paid and worshipped because they can understand the intrinsic difficulties of scientific theorems. When West Ham were last promoted to the Premiership (2005/06), Sir Trevor watched the game at Nevada Smiths, because the England national side (he now works for the English Football Association as Director of Football Development) was playing an exhibition game later that day at Giants Stadium). We all got to meet him after the 1-0 victory against Preston North End, and he is a top geezer, as we say back home.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Dark Days
English Premiership; Saturday, March 20, 2010;
Emirates Stadium, North London
Arsenal 2 West Ham Utd. 0
English Premiership; Saturday, March 23, 2010;
Upton Park, East London
West Ham Utd. 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers 3
English Premiership; Saturday, March 27, 2010;
Upton Park, East London
West Ham Utd. 0 Stoke City 1
Dark, dark, dark days, this being West Ham’s sixth loss in a row, a devastating collapse (not that we started off well either) that sees us in 17th position on equal points with Hull City (the last team we beat), with Hull having played a game less than us. Second-tier football is a decided possibility, and manager Gianfranco Zola is weighing up his future. The club says it is behind him, coded text that means he already probably has one foot out of the door. Old hands say what they always do at this point, that West Ham player legend Trevor Brooking will come back for the remaining few games and save the only club he ever played for, before saying that he does not want the job on a permanent basis. Why would he? He looked great when he has stepped into this role before, and then he walks away with his halo newly burnished. There are six games left, and we need to win three.
Emirates Stadium, North London
Arsenal 2 West Ham Utd. 0
English Premiership; Saturday, March 23, 2010;
Upton Park, East London
West Ham Utd. 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers 3
English Premiership; Saturday, March 27, 2010;
Upton Park, East London
West Ham Utd. 0 Stoke City 1
Dark, dark, dark days, this being West Ham’s sixth loss in a row, a devastating collapse (not that we started off well either) that sees us in 17th position on equal points with Hull City (the last team we beat), with Hull having played a game less than us. Second-tier football is a decided possibility, and manager Gianfranco Zola is weighing up his future. The club says it is behind him, coded text that means he already probably has one foot out of the door. Old hands say what they always do at this point, that West Ham player legend Trevor Brooking will come back for the remaining few games and save the only club he ever played for, before saying that he does not want the job on a permanent basis. Why would he? He looked great when he has stepped into this role before, and then he walks away with his halo newly burnished. There are six games left, and we need to win three.
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