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OCTOBER 2014 BLOWING-BUBBLES.CO.UK BY FANS, FOR FANS #41

Europe ace McGinley on Big Sam

‘The tradition of this club inspires me to create art’

Ryder Cup skip is an Irons fan

Paine Proffitt reveals why he chose West Ham

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THE TRUTHJulien Faubert on Avram Grant,

Real Madrid and life after West Ham

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(c) Blowing Bubbles

Before we took to the field to play Liverpool, I must admit I was worried any confidence we had picked up against the likes of Crystal Pal-ace and Hull would be shot to bits against the Reds and Manchester United.

Then I feared we’d lose against QPR and the dark days of last season would start to return to East London, but I was delighted by the passion, determination and drive shown by West Ham in all three games.

Sure we didn’t get anything at Old Trafford but it was the first time for a very long time that I fancied us taking

something from the Red Devils, from travelling to the game to the moment the referee blew the final whistle.

Following the inter-national break, I hope we can now kick on and pick up as many points as possible over the next month, which will set us up nicely for the Christ-mas run-in.

Turning to the issue and I’m delighted to say we’ve been able to secure an interview with Julien Faubert, where we cover everything from play-off finals to what really happened when he ‘fell asleep’ on the bench at Real Madrid.

I’m also proud to say

we’ve got an interview with West Ham fan and winning Ryder Cup cap-tain Paul McGinley.

As a keen golfer my-self, it was an absolute pleasure to speak with him and talk about all things Ryder Cup and West Ham.

Paul is hoping to get to Upton Park soon after seemingly putting his life on hold while he focused on helping Europe beat the USA and I hope the club ensures he returns as a guest of honour to a home game. I’m looking at you Mr Gold!

I hope you enjoy the issue.

David

Let the good times roll as our new-look Irons hit their stride

A common criticism levelled at footbal-

lers these days is that they don’t care about the club the same way fans do. But in the case of former West Ham defender Julien Faubert, that is anything but the truth.

‘Although I’m at Bordeaux now, part of me still feels like a West Ham player,’ the 31-year-old French international exclusively revealed to Blowing Bubbles. ‘I’m in touch with fans on Twitter, I follow the club on social media, I watch games when I can and I’d happily have stayed at West Ham for the rest of my career.’

Faubert’s career in claret and blue took an unlikely route, unveiled as a high-profile signing only to be sidelined by serious injury before he

had even played a com-petitive match, via an unlikely short-lived stint with Real Madrid, before ending in triumph at Wembley in the 2012 play-off final, which remains the high point of his time at the club – and, you get the feeling, one of the high points of his entire footballing career.

‘I still watch that game on YouTube,’ he admit-ted. ‘I can never forget

just how good it felt.’ Signing off with victory at Wembley was in sharp contrast to how Faubert’s West Ham career began in 2007.

‘I was at Bordeaux and had agreed a move to Rangers, but then right at the end of the transfer window the club told my agent an English club were interested, and they knew I wanted to go there one day, so the club wanted to do something

about it. I was just told it was a club in London – I didn’t know which one – but my agent told me it was West Ham, a good traditional club with cra-zy fans, and that I would like it, so I trusted him.’

When Faubert signed for £6m, chairman Eggert Magnusson said West Ham had beaten off competition from some of the top clubs in Europe for his signature, but within weeks of joining, Faubert’s career was thrown into serious doubt.

‘We were playing a pre-season friendly in Austria, I was running along and then suddenly I heard my Achilles go,’ he said.

‘It wasn’t a challenge, something just snapped and I felt huge pain. It was so loud that Jona-than Spector, who was behind me, heard it and immediately called on the physio. He took one look at it and told me it was ruptured.

‘I was devastated. Nothing like this had ever happened to me before – here I was at a new club, I wanted to

The big interview - Julien Faubert

‘In my heart I still feel like I am really a West Ham player’EXCLUSIVE: Julien Faubert on why he loved Sam Allardyce, hated Avram Grant and the day he did not fall asleep on the Real Madrid subs bench

JULIAN SHEA@juliansheasport

Still a fan: Julien Faubert still looks out for West Ham’s latest results

start working for them as they had spent so much on me, and now this. But right from the start, the club was incredibly supportive. They said I could go back to France any time I liked, and within 48 hours of the injury I was back there, having surgery.’

The injury meant Fau-bert’s attempts to play himself into contention for manager Alan Cur-bishley were scuppered straight away, but the backing he received at the club made the process of recovery and bedding in much simpler than it could have been.

‘I felt bad as I wanted to be out on the pitch, but whenever I came back, the manager and my team-mates were always really supportive,’ Faubert explained. ‘That made recovery easier than I had expected it to be.

‘As I hadn’t done pre-season, even when I was fit again it was al-ways going to be hard to break into the team that season, but the manager was clever because he gave me a series of short run-outs to make me feel more like part of the team. It was hard work but I knew I was on the way back and that I’d be fit for the following sea-son, so I was happy just to be on the bench.’

Alas for Faubert, though, next season was not to pan out as he had hoped. When Curbishley left the club in Septem-ber 2008, Gianfranco Zola took over and it

soon became clear that he did not have the same opinion of Faubert as his predecessor, who had signed him for the club. ‘I liked Curbishley as a man and as a manager, so when he left and Zola came in and didn’t play me much, it didn’t feel good,’ he explained.

‘I know things change under new managers, and he had his way of doing things, but not being able to show my potential after being out

of the side for so long – I was worried. As it turned out, the following season I played for him more than 30 times, so thing worked out in the end, but at the time, after all I’d been through the previous season, I need-ed to feel wanted – and I wasn’t.’

Just over a year after his arrival at West Ham, with much of the en-suing time spent in the treatment room, there was a big question mark

over Faubert’s future. But what happened next was something no-one could have predicted. ‘I was on the coach to a game at Fulham when my phone rang, and it was someone saying he was from Real Madrid, and they wanted to sign me,’ he explained.

‘I said I couldn’t talk now and to call back later. After the game I checked my phone and there were 20 or 30 missed calls, so I

Worst ever boss: Julien Faubert says Avram Grant was to blame for the club’s relegation

realised this was serious. He asked for my agent’s number, that night we went to a Heathrow hotel to talk, and a deal was agreed. The next day I went to Spain.’

The look on the face of Alfredo di Stefano as he handed Faubert his shirt at the traditional Madrid photo call showed he was as confused as anyone else about the Galacticos’ latest new arrival, and even Faubert admits he too was slight-ly overawed – for one day, at least.

‘Taking it all in on that first day was an amazing experience, like some sort of crazy dream, but after that you have to be a serious worker – Real Madrid don’t sign some-one out of charity or for fun,’ he said.

‘You go in and see your picture on the locker, and looking round the dressing room your team-mates are now people like Fabio Can-navaro and Raul, who you’re used to watch-ing in the Champions League – you can be impressed by it all, but you have to prove you’re

not a tourist, and you’re there to be part of the team.’

Life in the Bernabeu goldfish bowl was unlike anything he had experi-enced at West Ham, as his new team-mates were quick to warn him.

‘You’re under 24 hour scrutiny – the other players warned me

that the press pounce on anything to try and make a story, which is why you see Real players cover their mouths when they talk to one another on the pitch. There are cameras everywhere, so you have to watch everything you do.

‘One time I went out shopping with my fam-ily, and when we came out, the photographers were there because the staff had phoned them to say a Madrid player was in the shop. That’s when you realise what goes with playing for a club like that.’

If that’s what it was like going to the shops, then Faubert should have known it was going to be even more intense closer to the pitch, even

on the sub’s bench – and he soon found out the hard way.

‘Ah yes, that pho-to,’ he said. ‘I wasn’t asleep. How could I be surrounded by all that noise? I was on the bench, and I shut my eyes for a few seconds – but at Madrid there are even about 10 cameras trained on the bench, in search of anything, so they need something to talk about, they got their picture, and that became the story – that I’d fallen asleep. You have to be very careful at that club.’

Even before that noto-rious incident, Faubert said he knew his long-term future was not with Madrid, and after just two appearances, at the end of his loan spell he

Blessing: Big Sam gave Faubert a second chance at Upton Park

Best day: Julien Faubert says the play-off final in 2012 was his best memory

returned to West Ham – happy to have had his chance at one of the world’s greatest clubs, but equally content to be back at Upton Park. ‘I knew fairly soon that I was going to come back but my kids missed England, so I wasn’t too upset,’ Faubert said.

‘Back at West Ham I felt I wanted to make one big season and help the team after they’d invested so much money in me - that first season back was one of my best ever, because I was

happy, fit and so moti-vated.’ Although it was a good one for Faubert, it was one to forget for the team, and also full of boardroom wrangling, culminating in the de-parture of manager Zola. But if anyone thought new ownership and a new manager would be an end to the troubles, they were oh so wrong. Two words: Avram Grant.

‘The relegation season – I blame the manager,’ said Faubert, who only seems to have good

things to say about everyone else he encoun-tered at West Ham.

‘We had a good enough squad to stay up but he didn’t make the right choices in training or in matches. He wasn’t a good man for the club and because of that it wasn’t a team on or off the pitch. There wasn’t any heart or fighting spirit.’

To compound Fau-bert’s misery, he wasn’t even getting a look in, and he soon began to wonder if his future lay

away from West Ham. ‘I don’t know what happened between me and Grant but evidently something did, because even though I was fit and competitive, he just didn’t pick me,’ he explained.

‘My future at the club depended on the manager – if he was still on board, then I decided I had to move.’

When Grant took the club down, enter an unlikely saviour – Sam Allardyce – to herald the final act of Faubert’s

How Julien almost took

over from Zidane

Julien Faubert made his debut for France on August 16, 2006 against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Back then the youngster was a flying winger, nicknamed the Le TGV, with the world seemingly at his feet.

He was given the number 10 shirt, which was consid-ered a real honour at the time as he was the first player to do so for France since the retirement of Zinedine Zidane that summer.

Faubert impressed in the game, and even scored a goal, but a second cap never came.

Shock: Julien Faubert sealed a loan move to Real Madrid in 2009

West Ham story. ‘When Sam came to the club as the new manager, all my bad feeling under Grant changed,’ he ex-plained. ‘I felt something really strong with him, I thought “I can break my leg for this man,” so if I can, I’ll stay here.’

And he did – but sadly for the player, for just one more season. ‘It was only right at the end of the season that it became clear I was leaving,’ he said. ‘I would have happily stayed at West Ham until the end of my career, so it’s a real shame what happened. There was a new deal offered, but I think it was through my ex-agent so there was a bit of a misunderstanding, and I never got to see it.’

Having endured so many twists and turns during his days at West Ham, fate had one last glorious surprise in store for Faubert – the 2012 Championship play-off final win over Blackpool at Wembley.

‘I’ve never known stress like it before the match, but that is definitely my happiest memory of my time at West Ham,’ he said. ‘What happened – with Ricardo Vaz Te’s winner so close to the end – was brilliant. The feeling on the pitch was amazing, and the noise was in-credible – I was so happy for everyone associated with the club for what we’d done. I’ll never forget it. That’s why I still watch it.’

With his contract at an

end, Faubert spent one season in Turkey before returning to Bordeaux, where he spent three of the formative years of his career.

And whilst in some ways he is now back at home, there is clearly a part of him that still belongs at Upton Park.

‘These are the people who watched me grow up and develop as a player, so it feels like I’ve come back home to Bordeaux,’ he said.

‘I know all these people, I’m in the team and we’re playing really well, so I’m very happy, but I know my family miss England a lot. My wife is French but she absolutely loved London, and my kids are nine

and four, and they feel English. I’d go back there straight away if I had the chance.’

Having had such a stop-start career at Up-ton Park, Faubert could be forgiven for having mixed feelings about his time at West Ham, but – Grant apart – he only has good things to say about his spell at the club.

‘When I went to Real Madrid, people in France laughed at me, but most of the support I got came from En-gland – they were really positive about it,’ he said. ‘There’s a very different mentality in French foot-ball – sometimes French players are too soft and are beaten before they go

on the pitch, but in En-gland you can laugh and joke before the game, then once it starts people turn into fighters.

‘That’s the kind of person I am, and there was a lot of that at West Ham, with people like Ginge and Mark Noble, so I loved it.

‘They were a really nice friendly bunch of people too, and I’m still in touch with people like Carlton Cole now.

‘I always look to see how the club is doing, and I really like the new signings too – they’ll need some time, but they’ll do well. The fu-ture looks good. I’m still part of the West Ham family, and I always will be.’ BBM

Signing: Alan Curbishley brought Julien Faubert to the club in 2007

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Fantastic start shows promise

Securing Reid’s future is vital to the clubI read with interest your feature on Winston Reid in the September issue of Blowing Bubbles but was surprised to see Julian Dicks’ take on the defender’s contract situation.

The New Zealand international is the best defender at the club and the Hammers should

do whatever it takes to keep him.

If we lose him on a free transfer we’ll have to go out and buy a replace-ment - so could easily spend £10m in transfer fees plus wages, which could work out a lot more over the contract.

It would be cheaper in the long run to hold

onto the experienced, talented and proven player we already have.

Hopefully we can get this situation resolved before the January transfer window as I can easily see someone like Arsenal coming in for him and trying to get Reid on the cheap.

Mark Fowler

Should West Ham give Sam Allardyce a new contract?At the end of last season it looked for all the world that Sam Allardyce would be on his way out of West Ham United.

The former Bolton Wanderers boss had seemingly alienated too many fans and the owners, presumably fearing the supporters were going to vote with their feet and not renew their season tickets, seemed certain to make a change.

Well, all I can say is what a difference six months have made!

A host of new signings have reinvigorated the team and the side are now playing some of the best football we have seen at Upton Park since Harry Redknapp was in charge.

The question now is what to do about Big

Sam’s contract. His deal expires at the end of this season and I can easily see him signing an extension if resuts keep coming.

We have one more year until we move to the Olympic Stadium and clearly it is vital we are

in the Premier League when we move in.

Allardyce is far from perfect but I doubt we’d ever go down with him in charge.

It could be a case of when rather than if a new deal is penned.

Daniel Costa

It’s been a very interest-ing start to the season.

We’re only in October but I believe we are be-ginning to see some pos-itive things arising from the influx of new players and a more entertaining style of play.

What we need to work on now is a gradual im-provement in consisten-cy and try to eliminate the poor performances like that against South-ampton.

If we can, this could be a great year.

Mark Steele

How on earth is Mark Noble not in the Eng-land squad?

I could understand that he never made the cut while the likes of Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard were still playing but the fact he is still being overlooked is nothing short of a national scandal.

When you consider that Stuart Downing has also missed out you start to wonder if Roy Hodgson has something against West Ham!

Still, at least the players will have the opportu-nity to have a good rest while the national team are playing.

Suzie Gough

England snub is just unfair

Email: editor@blowing-bubbles.co.uk

Still here: Will Big Sam lead West Ham to the Olympic Stadium?

JULIAN DICKSTHE TERMINATOR’S EXCLUSIVE COLUMN NEVER BOTTLES A CHALLENGE

Sorry Ravel, but time is running outNew strikers

remind me of Kiston and HartsonSakho and Valencia have given us our swagger back

I see Ravel Morrison has been sent out on loan again, this time to Cardiff City.

I know some people are unhappy about it but I don’t think he deserves an extended run in the starting XI at West Ham. I don’t see how anyone thinks he can.

He is always in trou-ble and sometimes you have to look at what’s going on around the player off the pitch. If you keep getting in trouble you are disre-specting the club.

I know he has talent. Even Sir Alex Ferguson said he has talent. But from the games I’ve seen him play recently, he hasn’t performed.

There have been people saying he could become the next Alan Devonshire and I’ve just got to laugh at that. Not in a million years.

He has ability but he needs to get his head down and do what he is paid to do.

The biggest difference this season for West Ham is the amount of

goals they seem to have in them.Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia

have made a big impact this season and having strikers who give you confidence gives everyone a team a lift.

I remember when Harry Red-knapp signed Paul Kitson and John Hartson. We were in trouble when they arrived but they totally changed the dynamic of the team.

When you’ve got quality players up front it makes a huge difference.

The midfielders know they can put balls through and the strikers are going to be there, running through, scoring goals.

You knew when the ball was

played up to them it was going to stay in attacking positions and if you keep the ball in and around the box chances will come. They were incredible.

One of the main reasons this current pair are doing so well is that we are playing more than one up front again.

If we’d played with Sakho up front by himself he would have struggled, but having Valencia alongside him and the likes of Mauro Zarate around too helps create space for him. He has looked ruthless so far.

When we are at home we need to be playing with two or three strikers in my opinion, and with Andy Car-roll to come back things look very bright in that department.

Dear Sam,

Brian Williams pens his monthly letter to the gafferDear Sam,

Well, mate, you must be one relieved manager right now. It looked for all the world as if Ronald McDonald was going to take that plum job in Carlisle – but you talked him out of it.

Who can blame any man for wanting to live and work in the Venice of the North? At least, the last time I saw Carlisle on the six o’clock news it looked like Venice, although that may have been down to heavy flooding rather than an extensive canal network.

However, the fact you persuaded our very own Supermac to stay is yet another triumph for your legendary commu-nication skills.

It’s obvious that Ronald is a key figure in your managerial team. Now there’s a right-hand man if ever I saw one! The brilliant part of it all, of course, is the undercover nature of the role. There’s not a single West Ham supporter who has the faintest idea what it is he’s supposed to be doing – so what hope

have the opposition got? That, my friend, is sheer genius.

While we’re on the subject of assistants, isn’t it about time you gave young Sheringham a stern talking to? I can only assume this attack-ing nonsense we seem to be going in for nowadays is down to him.

I know how you like your six at the back, so I’m sure this latest hare-brained scheme is not of your making.

One up front, that’s the way we like it – so why oh why are we cluttering up the opposition’s pen-alty area with all these strikers? They’re only go-ing to get in each other’s way! Honestly, I thought we’d finally emerged from the Dark Ages when clowns like Cottee and McAvennie couldn’t even agree among them-selves whose job it was to score.

If you want someone to sharpen up the attack,

I suggest you give Teddy Boy the boot and sign up a West Ham great who really knew the way to goal.

David Kelly is the man for the job, I reckon. And while you’re at it, find out what his old mate Allen McKnight is up to these days. With his guidance, that lad Adrian could become one of the most memo-rable keepers we’ve ever had.

I can assure you Sam, all those who saw Mr McKnight in the flesh will never forget him.

As you know, I’m the last person to ever criticise the way the club is run, but I can’t help feeling we don’t make nearly enough use of the expertise former players could bring to the table.

I’m not talking about the likes of Trevor Brooking, you under-stand – to be honest, I think it would be a kind-ness if he was persuaded to stay away from the ground rather more than he does.

The day I had to witness the sickening sight of a true West Ham

Wise: This chap knows plenty about loyalty that he could pass on to the kids

legend having to put up with the pathetic ram-blings of a half-wit in the directors’ box will live with me until the day I die. I can only imagine what poor Russell Brand must have been thinking as he found himself sit-ting next to ‘Sir’ Trevor and having to pretend he was interested in the inane prattle of an old-age pensioner.

Forget the has-beens, there are any number of talented former players who could do a job for us.

Take the role of fitness coach, for example. Who better than Benni McCarthy?

You have to admit, Benni was a fine figure of a man. Some say he was actually the fine figure of two-and-a-half men.

But, as the old saying goes, a good big ’un will always beat a good little ’un. (Although I did sometimes wonder if he’d once mis-heard that as a good big ’un will always eat a good little ’un.)

If you want a defensive coach, look no further than that fella Johnson who joined us on loan for a while. (His first name might have been Boris, but I may have got that wrong.)

Anyway, this man was a hit with the support-ers from his very first game in claret and blue. Remember how we got narrowly beaten by Man City in the League Cup semi last season? He played his heart out at

their place. Honestly, I don’t think you could hold him responsible for any more than three of the six goals. He even donated his shirt to the travelling fans after the game – and in return they showed him how much they wanted him to keep his place in the team.

I think those support-ers demonstrated how we all felt when they threw that shirt straight back at him.

And what about bring-ing in Jermain Defoe to teach the youngsters of today the importance of team spirit. Never have we had a more selfless player, always willing to put others before himself – whether it was generously declining to shoot when a colleague was better positioned,

or personifying the meaning of loyalty when we got relegated.

There are some big names who could help out on the commercial side, as well. Every time a new set of kit is launched, we need someone to model it.

Not all players look comfortable being pho-tographed in a different shirt, but at West Ham we were lucky enough to once have a man who could do just that with-out batting an eyelid. Check with the club sec-retary – I bet someone’s still got a phone number for Paul Ince.

What we really need, though, is a roving ambassador for the club, and I’ve got just the bloke for you. Frank Lampard Jnr was so keen to return to his spiritual

home while still playing for Chelski he once gave the Upton Park crowd a secret sign that he would be back after a couple of years by holding up two fingers as he disappeared into the tunnel.

Admittedly, that was several seasons ago now, but what else could he have possibly meant? And I know I speak for every single West Ham supporter by saying we would love to have Frank back where he belongs, among the people who truly love him. So come on Sam, sign him up before he gets on that forklift truck back to New York!

Your mate behind the goal,

BrianFollow Brian Williams on Twitter @BrianWill26BBM

Ideal: Boris Johnson would be perfect as West Ham’s new defensive coach

Fresh from leading Europe to a third

successive Ryder Cup, Paul McGinley admits he is now looking for-ward to returning to the Boleyn Ground to see his beloved West Ham play again.

The 47-year-old has been delighted at the start made by West Ham this season and praised Sam Allardyce for embracing a new, exciting style of football that saw the Hammers climb to seventh in the table after picking up 10 points from their first seven games.

In an exclusive interview with Blowing Bubbles, the first Irish-man to captain Europe’s Ryder Cup side has been impressed with the new-look Irons.

‘We’ve got off to a bril-liant start and have been playing some exciting football,’ he said. ‘We’ve played a few teams who have been out of sorts but we’ve taken full ad-vantage of these games and got points – how often have we been able to say that about West Ham recently?

‘We’ve certainly got momentum heading into

our next few games and I hope it stays with us and that we avoid picking up too many injuries given the small squad we have compared to other Premier League sides.’

Asked about his feelings towards Sam Allardyce and he was as diplomatic as he was when quizzed by the world’s media ahead of September’s Ryder Cup at Gleneagles. ‘When it comes to Sam, I’m real-istic about the situation because I’m sure with him as manager, we

will be playing Premier League football when we move into the Olympic Stadium.

‘From a business point of view, being in the Pre-mier League is what it’s all about at the moment.

‘We haven’t got the budget or a big enough squad to be up there challenging the top four or five sides but if we can secure a couple of top 10 finishes over the next two seasons, that should be seen a huge success.

‘In my opinion, Sam is the man for the job at

the moment and I feel confident if we stick with him, we won’t lose our Premier League status.’

Paul enjoyed 10 sea-sons as a season ticket holder before having to give his seat up as his Ryder Cup duties began to take their toll.

‘I’ve always been a fan of the young guys mak-ing their way through the Academy of Football, breaking into the first team and watching them establish themselves as regulars,’ he continued.

‘It’s one of the things I

Paul McGinley

Europe’s Ryder Cup winning captain on why he loves E13 EXCLUSIVE: David Blackmore catches up with Irons fan Paul McGinley

What a team: The European players eased past the USA

used to love about West Ham but for the last few years, we just don’t seem to be seeing the same volume of youngsters coming through.

‘I know Gold and Sullivan have invested heavily in the Academy but maybe the gulf to break into a Premier League side from the development squad is just too great now?

‘Either way, I hope the money and effort being invested will eventually pay off as it’s good for all West Ham fans to see the youngsters coming through.’

He added: ‘I know the Premier League takes priority at the moment but I’d like to start seeing West Ham have more of a go in the cup compe-titions.

‘I know we reached the semi-final of the League Cup last season but we didn’t stand a chance with the injuries we had and the fact Manches-ter City’s squad is big enough that they were able to rest key players and put out a starting XI which was very strong.’

With the move to the Olympic Stadium draw-ing ever nearer, Paul is hoping to get to as many games as possible.

‘I can, again, see the business argument for the move to the Olympic Stadium but I will be really sad to see us move away from Upton Park,’ he explained.

‘It’s going to be very different and I don’t know how they will get the crowd to fill the sta-

dium if I’m being honest. But, again, it’s all about money in football and moving to the Olympic Stadium will give us the opportunity to raise more cash and with more money, we can invest in better players and a bigger squad.

‘It is, however, going to take a lot of money to ensure West Ham can mount a serious challenge for one of the

European spots every season and I think that is the one thing that is wrong about football.

‘In American Football, the worst side in the NFL at the end of the season gets the most money and the best sides gets the least and this helps to bring about balance.’

As for how a boy from Rathfarnham in the Republic of Ireland fell

in love with West Ham, he continued: ‘I fell in love with West Ham in 1975 after watching the FA Cup final against Fulham.

‘There was one colour TV on our street and it was about four doors down from us and I remember we all went there to watch it – as did everyone on our street.

‘I took a shine to the West Ham shirt and that

Perfect: Paul McGinley poses after winning the Ryder Cup

was how it started for me. Sure I took some stick in the playground from my friends who supported Liverpool and Celtic but I didn’t care.

‘My father always used to buy a West Ham shirt for me whenever he was in London and I used to wear it when I went to training.

‘I went to my first game at Upton Park in 1987 as I was visiting my Aunt in London and even now I can remem-ber that first journey on the District Line to Upton Park and the walk down Green Street to the stadium.’

Any interview with Paul McGinley would not be complete without asking about the Ryder

Cup. ‘It was a great week,’ he said reflecting on Europe’s 16 ½ to 11 ½ victory over the USA.

‘It was the culmination of a couple of years of hard work and it was great to be able to give so much pleasure to so many people across Europe.

‘There were many highlights from those few days but how the players bonded and how well they get on with each other was one of them.

‘The support we had behind us, the brilliant team meetings we had and the excitement of the crowd were others.’

He continued: ‘I’ve been very lucky to have been involved in a num-

ber of Ryder Cups now and I’ve taken something away each time.

‘I think being so far be-hind in Medinah in 2012 and coming back to win has been one of my best Ryder Cup moments. It was like being 4-0 down away from home in foot-ball and coming back to win 5-4.

‘This year, there was a different pressure on us because we were consid-ered the favourites but we knew the US team would be right up there to beat us and I was just delighted how well we coped with the pressure.

He added: ‘Looking to the future, I don’t know what’s next for me. I’ve never been in this situa-tion before as the captain

of a winning Ryder Cup side so it’s all new and I’m taking each day as it comes.

‘I’m hoping to get out there and play a bit more golf myself over the next year as my golf had to take a bit of a back seat as I prepared for the Ryder Cup.

‘I’m also hoping to get to a few West Ham games soon. Usually around Christmas, things start to ease up for me and I can get to a few games at Upton Park.

‘There have been a few West Ham games shown live recently and I’ve been able to watch these but there’s nothing like being at Upton Park.’ BBM

Sam’s the man: Paul McGinley backs boss Allardyce but is excited by how new players such as Mauro Zarate have fitted in

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We need to talk about Kevin. You

know the guy – stocky, aggressive, team captain and offside-aficionado, Kevin Nolan.

He’s been out injured for a significant period of time, and truthfully, the team hasn’t really missed him.

You’ve got to admit, it’s a strange situation for a team to not only survive their captain’s absence but also to thrive during it.

West Ham have argu-ably played their best football in years without Nolan, so is time up for

Kevin Nolan or can he still make an impact?

He certainly cut a frus-trating figure last season. He slumped in form from the tough midfield-er we saw in previous seasons to a sluggish and bad tempered nuisance.

His rumoured off-pitch issues seemed to come onto the pitch with him, and his perpetual inabili-ty to understand the offside rule caused any number of frustrations with the West Ham

faithful. His reckless red cards in late 2013 and early 2014 were a low point in both his career and his relationship with the fans.

Since then, he’s put in some much better performances, particu-larly in February 2014, but I’m not sure he’s done enough to deserve a permanent starting place and the captain’s armband in the current West Ham side.

Equally, I’d be mad to

suggest there’s no place in the squad what-so-ev-er for the man who has been our top scorer for the past two years.

Nolan has put in some brilliant work for the Hammers in the past, and I don’t think it’s wise to forget that so quickly but equally I don’t want West Ham to go straight back to playing a style of football which was physically painful to watch solely to make use of Kevin Nolan.

My hope is that we can find a way to re-harness the good bits of Kevin into this new-look, “sexy,” football-playing side.

Kevin Nolan will need to adjust to this system and focus on what he’s good at, being intrusive, aggressive and ready to pounce on any loose ball and turn it into the net, in order to stay a part of this club.

EMILY PULHAM @makingthemarrow

Choices: How will Big Sam handle the situation?

Kevin Nolan

He made a difference to the side when he came on against Manchester United, and was unlucky not to score/have that ‘goal’ counted.

In the time he came on he brought a strong energy to the attack, and created at least three strong chances. This is something Nolan is good at, and this should be utilized.

However, when it comes to running the midfield, his time may have been and gone.

While Nolan has been injured, his replacements

have done an outstand-ing job in his absence.

Cheikhou Kouyate is a wonderful addition to the squad, and in the best game of our season, Mark Noble made for both an outstanding captain and a midfield maestro, controlling everything moving forwards and backwards with confidence and ease.

I can’t with good con-science suggest we drop Stewart Downing from his new role, or Alex Song, Kouyate or Noble in order to put Nolan

into a role he doesn’t excel in.

So how do we solve a problem like Kevin? We hope that if he’s the play-er that Sam Allardyce thinks he is, he has the ability to adapt to a new role which capitalises on his strengths, and allows him to still play a part in West Ham’s season, even if it isn’t the part he’s used to, or was hoping to come back to when he first got injured.

And we also hope that one day someone explains the offside rule to him. BBM

Reid helps fan hit the

jackpotIf there’s one thing better than watching our beloved Hammers storm to victory, it’s winning big money in the process.

That’s exactly what Blowing Bubbles writer Liam Newman was fortunate enough to do after our spec-tacular 3-1 triumph over Liverpool last month.

After penning an article on the Winston Reid contract saga for our September issue, he decided to have a flutter on the New Zealand defender scoring the first goal against the Reds.

‘Reid has always had a penchant for scoring big goals in important matches, Liverpool were there for the taking in front of the Sky cameras and with odds of 40/1, I decided to put £8 on Reid,’ said Newman.

‘Backing a cen-tre-back to open the scoring is always a risk but with Reid’s immediate future at the club secured, due to the transfer window shutting on September 1, I just had an inkling he might pop up with a goal soon – I just didn’t expect it to come quite as quickly as it did.’

Leader: Captain Kevin Nolan may now struggle to get his place back into the West Ham side

FROZEN IN TIMESaturday, October 5, 2014: Hammers keeper Adrien cele-brates Diafra Sakho’s goal against QPR. West Ham went on to win the game 2-0 to consolidate their promising start to the season going in to the international break.

www.oakhamales.com Tel 01733 370500

With all the excite-ment that the

summer transfer win-dow brought, the signing of Carl Jenkinson from Arsenal snuck under the radar somewhat.

The issue for West Ham United over the years has been evident for all to see, the club needed strikers and attack-minded full backs that could provide support on the wings for the wide men.

It now seems that the Hammers may well have finally figured that out, bringing in Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia up top who have scored plenty between them already this season and look to have paired up to make what could well be quite a potent attack.

And with Jenkinson coming into the starting line-up, the back four has a youthful yet expe-rienced feel to it, and it is refreshing to see a Sam Allardyce side with an attack-minded back four in mind who like to play football on the floor.

The full back position is quickly becoming the most crucial role in a side. You only have to look at the top clubs

around the world to see that’s the case.

At Bayern Munich you have Philipp Lahm and David Alaba, and to a lesser degree at Everton, you could argue their two most important players are Seamus Coleman and Leighton Baines. So it is important not to forget how important a role the full back plays.

With Cresswell now settled in at left back, and looking like a solid acquisition having

stepped up from the Championship, the battle for the right back spot is heating up.

Now I have always been a fan of Guy Demel, and despite his frame, he can move and has some skills to boot.

His role in the goal Mo Diame scored against Manchester United will live long in the mem-ory as he nonchalantly flicked the ball to Vaz Te who likewise flicked it too Diame before he fired past the helpless De

Gea. But much like life, the footballing world is gearing towards speed more than reliability.

There is no doubting the on loan Arsenal man holds the edge over Demel on that score, and his cameo roles against Liverpool, Hull and Manchester United have given us a brief glimpse and what kind of player we could have on our hands.

Against United, as the Hammers pushed for an equaliser, Jenkinson came on and caused the Red Devils all sorts of problems down the right-hand side, and but for Kevin Nolan’s nose being offside, he would have claimed an assist.

He looked lively and calm on the ball something that Sam Allardyce’s team need if they are to play this more expansive and attacking brand of football.

If the rumours are true and we have an option to buy the Arsenal man at the end of the season, then in my eyes the Irons are set for years to come at full-back with Cresswell and Jenkinson at the helm. BBM

Is Jenkinson about to steal Demel’s place in the line-up?David Bowden says the on-loan full-back can take West Ham up a level

Competition: Guy Demel has a fight on his hands for the right-back spot

The right-back debate

There are surely many former Hammers

lost in the abyss of the bargain bin, often free-bies that are nearly out of contract or without clubs.

One such player you may stumble across as you rummage for a deal is Matthew Etherington, who was, and still is, a firm favourite of mine.

Matty is currently clubless having left Stoke City at the end of last season and he has been unfortunate in his search for a club.

His time at the Britan-nia was fairly fruitful up until his final season, perhaps a sign that an injury-plagued career and age were counting against him in terms Premier League football.

For the little we’ve heard about Etherington in the past few years, it might surprise you to hear that he made only

13 fewer league appear-ances in red and white than claret and blue.

For West Ham and Stoke City he scored 16 and 13 goals respectively in five and a half seasons at each club.

What was undeniable was his desire to play week in, week out. He gave his all for the Hammers, and as fans we always like a trier.

What he had to boot was a good bit of pace on the wing and the eye to

pick out a pass or cross.You could argue that he had the best form of his career at West Ham, which made him a great signing from Totten-ham Hotspur by Glenn Roeder.

It’s hard to believe that a former Spurs player could so easily win the hearts of West Ham fans, but Matty did. I guess he wasn’t one of the top stars at White Hart Lane, which helped his cause on his move across

London. It’s great to have a player that stays around for more than a couple of seasons, and across the five and a half we watched Etherington for, the first four were great and he became a must-start.

It says a lot about a player when he makes a move from Division Three (now League Two) to the Premier League, and that is what Matty did.

From Peterborough

Matthew Etherington

The flying winger who found his home after a Spurs ’mareEtherington became a fans’ favourite at Upton Park in his five seasons

LUCY WOOLFORD@lucy_whufc

Popular: Matthew Etherington made his name at Upton Park

How Stoke fell in love with Matty

By Matt Meir

When Tony Pulis signed Matthew Etherington in the summer of 2008, the announcement was met with a mixture of trepidation and excitement.

He was the first ‘big name’ the club had bought after po-motion and brought with him some much-needed Premier League experience.

His off-field prob-lems didn’t matter a jot - if anything it made him more human.

His form may have come and gone - it’s only natural - but such was Matty’s influence over the play, that when he had a bad game the whole team did.

The 2010-11 season was the best for him in Stoke colours. The shining moment in that wonderful victory over Bolton in the FA Cup semi-final.

Yes, he had been a star performer before but on the big stage where it mattered on that day, he was a class above.

He showed true moments of brilliance, and scoring the open-ing goal of the day was deserved. BBM

United to Spurs, he did find it difficult to settle in North London, but established himself after a loan move to Bradford City.

As is the story with most Hammers past and present, he has been slightly unfortunate with injuries. An ankle prob-lem forced his best Spurs season short and he has suffered a recurring back injury throughout his career.

Problems on and off the field may have tarnished his CV, but Etherington was clearly a popular man in the dressing room, paying credit to his character.

This always endears me to a player and to hear him recently talk of his friendship with many current Hammers was pleasing.

The rumour mills even linked him with a return to Upton Park under Sam Allardyce after being shown the door by Stoke.

This is where I person-ally have to try and put my brain in gear and let my heart be overruled.

Matthew Etherington will always be a player I remember watching as a season ticket holder, and one that I rated more often than not.

The fan in me would welcome him back with open arms, but my foot-balling knowledge would remind me to hold that thought.

Despite only being 33, he is past his prime. I have no doubt that he could make an impact

if he were to return, but it wouldn’t be the same man that we loved so much.

I have no doubt that he could make some impact, but would it be an improvement to our current squad and wing? No. But his availability just might be noteworthy for clubs in a crisis. He’s an inexpensive punt, and I hope he does find a club soon.

In play-off finals,

West Ham fans have witnessed the difference he can make. His cross to Bobby Zamora in the 1-0 play-off final win over Preston made all the difference, and I still believe he could do that for someone.

I wish him all the best in his life on and off the field, and I’m sure my fellow fans would join me in wishing him a happy footballing future. BBM

New start: Matthew Etherington left Stoke City in the summer

After smashing Leroy Rosenior’s 26-year-

old goalscoring record against Manchester United last month, Diafra Sakho not only announced himself to the Premier League but also confirmed he was one of the bargain buys this summer.

He followed up his fourth goal in four starts at Old Trafford by nodding in a fifth in five starts against QPR earlier this month and I believe he has the poten-tial to smash 20 goals for West Ham to push us to the top 10.

Looking back, it’s not hard to see why so many eyebrows were raised when his move to Upton Park was confirmed in August. He had never experienced a top flight fixture before and had joined from French club Metz, with whom he won promotion to Ligue One last season - hardly stuff to inspire confidence.

But after scoring on his first start against Sheffield United in the Capital One Cup, the Senegalese striker has not looked back and formed a fantastic

partnership with fellow summer signing Enner Valencia.

The duo caused Hull City’s defence all sorts of problems and Sakho followed his goal at the KC Stadium with anoth-er superb display against Liverpool.

Once again, Sakho and Valencia linked up as though they had played alongside each other throughout their careers and Sakho also showed his brilliance as he clev-erly chipped a helpless Simon Mignolet to put

West Ham 2-0 up inside seven minutes.

Valencia and Sakho are a real threat going forward, with the two boasting pace, energy and flair. They are every opposition’s worst nightmare because they give defenders all sorts of problems.

Sakho has, quite simply, made the best start to life in East London. He couldn’t have dreamed for better and has quickly become a fans’ favourite with his never-say-die attitude,

clever runs and fantastic energy off the ball.

It looks as though the 24-year-old has a bright future ahead of him at the club and if he keeps scoring, it would seem as though Andy Carroll may struggle to force his way back into the start-ing XI when he recovers from his latest injury.

Sakho is full of confi-dence, playing without fear and if his attitude remains the same then West Ham will reap the rewards for years to come. BBM

Diafra Sakho

West Ham might have hit the jackpot with our man Diafra!Danny Rust reckons Sakho could prove to be the signing of the summer

Common sight: Diafra Sackho celebrates yet another goal this year

West Ham fans have had plenty

to cheer about with the improved quality on display on the pitch so far this season, but there has also been something new to catch the eye in the club shop, after American artist Paine Proffitt’s West Ham art-work and merchandise went on sale.

Robbie Williams and Sir Bradley Wiggins are just two of the famous names who have a Proffitt original adoring their walls, and Irons fans have also been able to get their hands on his distinctive retro artwork since the club began sell-ing it in the summer.

Fed up with earning a living as a freelance illus-trator of other people’s work – an existence he called ‘soul destroying’ - the 42-year-old who now lives in the Potteries decided to combine his love of sport with his ar-tistic talent, and a whole new career was born.

‘Growing up, I loved American sports, mainly baseball and ice hockey, but as soon as I first came to live in the UK 20 years ago, I fell in love with football,’ he told

Blowing Bubbles. Having first done artwork for the team he supports, Port Vale, Proffitt soon be-came increasingly in de-mand, doing programme covers for the likes of West Brom, Aberdeen and Grimsby, and it was not long before fans of other teams were asking him to do something for them.

Recently, West Ham joined that list. ‘I’d already done a West Ham piece in the hope of catching the club’s eye, and a year ago I was at

a sports merchandising trade show with my partners BWSportsArt, and we met someone from the club,’ he added. ‘After a year of working things out and sending them ideas, at last the prints and the shirts and mugs, which are made by Genesis Sports, have gone on sale, and so far the feedback has been great.’

Profitt admits he is an artist rather than a histo-rian, but says sometimes a club has a certain feel to it which instinctively

inspires him. This has certainly been the case with West Ham.

‘I’m not making a visual record of a club’s past, I try to capture the spirit of the club and what things make it spe-cial – past players, songs, club myths and legends, that kind of thing,’ he explained. ‘So far my West Ham pieces have been general supporter pieces, but finding out more about the club culture makes me want to do some more specific ones.

‘What really inspires me is stories from players and fans – that gives me so much more than Wikipedia could, it makes the work much more personal and brings the club’s history and soul to life. A great example of this was when I was doing a programme cover for West Brom v West Ham, Baggies legend Tony Brown wrote a great piece about how Martin Peters was one of the most gifted players he’d ever played against, so that really inspired the picture I did of him.’

So, as an outsider, what has Paine learnt so far

Paine Proffitt

West Ham’s true colours are inspiring Proffitt’s paintingsJulian Shea catches up with the artist behind a new take on the Irons

Talented: Paine Proffitt has lots of famous fans

about what makes West Ham tick? ‘West Ham fans are a passionate bunch who are really proud of their roots and really identify with the club, and pass down that tradition – that’s why one of my new pieces shows three generations standing together, passing on the torch of supporting the club. Of course you get an element of that at every club, but I think it particularly rings true at West Ham,’ he explained.

Talk of tradition, his-tory and indeed torches are particularly relevant at the Boleyn these days, as the clock ticks down to the Olympic Stadium move, and Paine says he hopes this transition can be the source of more creative inspiration.

‘I’m looking to do a few more pieces about the club’s past, particularly drawing on the significance of the ground,’ he said. ‘It’s been suggested I do a few paintings on the greatest matches played there, which is a fasci-nating prospect for an artist and one I’d really like to explore.’

With a club meaning so much to its fans, woe betide the artist who tries to encapsulate its spirit – and gets it wrong. ‘As I don’t have week-in, week-out inti-macy with a club when I’m painting it, it’s always a bit of a gamble and can be pretty daunting, hoping that I get it right, but all the reactions so far to my West Ham

work have been positive, which is a great relief,’ he said. ‘That’s why I prefer to do my own thing, rather than com-missions. My best work is done when I’m left to my own devices – I have the freedom to fail if I want to, rather than trying to fulfil someone else’s requirements. That makes it feel too much like work.’

Many clubs have been

given the Paine Proffitt treatment in recent years, and he says it is hard to explain why some inspire him more than others, but his own words suggest that in West Ham, he has found a club he can relate to.

‘I don’t even quite un-derstand it myself some-times, but certain clubs do jump out at me more than others, for all kinds of reasons,’ he said. ‘I’m

attracted to clubs with rough edges, with a bit of character, a story and some toughness. I like working class clubs with a passionate fanbase, and I’m drawn to tradition and nostalgia.’

Paine Proffitt may not quite understand what has drawn him to West Ham, but to Irons fans reading those words, it may well make perfect sense. BBM

Enner Valencia’s goal against Hull City was

a belter and will remain in the memory of many West Ham fans for a long time to come.

After watching it a few times, it got me thinking about some other goals from recent history that were either great strikes or of vital importance to West Ham at the time. Anton Ferdinand v FulhamIt’s hard to believe this strike was eight and a half years ago.

I recall there was a rather muted atmo-sphere in the ground that night and a corner from West Ham had been cleared out to just outside the box.

Borrowing a phrase oft used on Buzzfeed, absolutely nobody expected what happened next – a volley on the turn by centre half Anton Ferdinand which stunned the keeper, the players, the crowd and the commentator.

Yossi Benayoun went on to net an exquisite chip a little bit later on in the same half and I’ll never forget the commentator saying

‘Its classic goal night at Upton Park’ after that one went in. Marlon Harewood v MiddlesbroughA few months later in the same season and West Ham would reach the FA Cup final if they could overcome the Tee-siders in the semi-final.

After a fairly poor performance in the first half the Hammers improved after the break and started looking the more likely to break the deadlock.

As the half wore on and the intensity increased it took a route one approach to finally snatch the goal. A 70 yarder was knocked down by Dean Ashton and Harewood powered the ball home to send one half of the crowd into raptures with 12 minutes of the match remaining.

Not only did it set up one of the best finals in recent memory and a return to European football the next season for the Hammers, it also

showed how a manager should never celebrate a goal. Bobby Zamora v Ipswich TownAfter losing out to Crys-tal Palace in the play-off final the season before-hand and surrendering a two goal lead in the first leg of the 2005 play-offs, it was imperative the Hammers got the win to ensure a second succes-sive final appearance.

Again the first half proved a nervy affair but 11 second half minutes

Enner Valencia’s thunderbolt

Five classic Hammers strikes that are better than Valencia’sAndrew Hosie gets all nostalgic after watching the net bulge at Hull

Bang: Enner Valencia scored a stunner at Hull City

changed the entire com-plexion of the match.

Zamora had given the Hammers the lead knocking in from Hare-wood’s centre but the second which sealed the match was an exquisite cushioned volley fol-lowing great work from Harewood and Nigel Reo-Coker.

It put the Hammers through to play Preston in the final where Zamora scored the vital strike again to propel us back into the top flight following a two-year absence. Carlos Tevez v Tottenham HotspurThis was a typical West Ham match if ever there was one.

It was the first week of March in 2007, the Hammers had not won since December 11, were languishing in the relegation zone and well adrift from safety.

I remember this game for the rollercoaster that occurred and the outburst of emotion as Carlos Tevez scored his first goal for the club. West Ham were 1-0 up, due in the most part to a fantastic performance from Robert Green in goal.

But with four minutes to go until half time, Tevez had the chance, with a free kick, to give us breathing space.

Hi attempt was good, should possibly have been saved, but it was the celebration that followed that will remain in in the memory.

After a wretched few months there was a genuine moment of hope inside Upton Park, a moment of joy shared by 95 per cent of the people in that stadium as Tevez

ripped off his shirt and jumped into the crowd. Heartbreak was to follow that day, as we lost 3-4, but was that the moment the Great Escape’s roots took hold?

Paolo Di Canio v Wimbledon Obviously I would be shot if this was not included in the list as it is arguably the best single striker a West Ham player has ever produced.

You only need to type ‘Paolo Di Canio goal’ in Google and it knows what you’re talking about.

The Italian striker was off the ground when he volleyed in Trevor Sinclair’s cross with the outside of his right foot. As Andy Grey said on commentary: ‘take a bow son, take a bow!’ BBM

Up and running: Carlos Tevez scored his first goal for West Ham against Spurs

His finest hour: Paolo Di Canio scored a special goal against Wimbledon

Blowing-Bubbles

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WHAT WE DO

Joe Cole

Can Villain Cole roll back the years for a last shot at glory?Andrew Raeburn on how West Ham’s favourite son is faring at VillaAston Villa are fast

becoming football’s answer to the Priory – rehabilitating footballers’ battered reputations and giving them one last chance to clean up their act.

Philippe Senderos, a laughing stock at Fulham, has suddenly turned into a rock. Alan Hutton, Kieran Richard-son and Tom Cleverley are also rebuilding their flagging careers.

The one man still wait-ing to grasp his second chance is Hammers hero Joe Cole. A shadow of his former fleet-of-foot self last season, Cole’s Premier League days looked numbered when he was shown the Upton Park door in the summer.

Courted by clubs in Qatar, the US and Europe, the 32-year-old could have been forgiven for taking one last big payday, spending his spare time in sunnier climes than east London and with company infinitely more attractive than Sam Allardyce and Andy Carroll.

But then Paul Lambert came along to offer Cole one last shot at

the big time. Both sides recognised it was a risk – Cole would be taking a big pay cut (to around £20,000 per week) to join a club up for sale and down on its luck, while Villa were getting a player who spent more time on the bench last season than the pitch.

A once-great midfield-er at a once-great club, both desperately trying to revive fading memo-ries. It had potential for

a real tragicomedy. But both parties decided it was a gamble worth taking. Villa were sorely lacking in midfield cre-ativity last season, and when his legs can carry him Cole can still pick a lock in the defence. The man himself will be getting a chance to prove himself again in the Premier League, in his favoured central midfield role.

However, we’re still

talking in the future tense. Cole has played just 62 minutes in a Villa shirt, against Leyton Orient in the Capital One Cup, and has been an unused sub for three of our six league games. Among the three he had to watch from the stands were the trips to his for-mer stamping grounds Anfield and Stamford Bridge. Whether he gets to soak up an ovation at the Boleyn next month remains to be seen.

We’re still curious as to what a fully-fit Cole, used in his best position, can bring. Is he still ca-pable of opening teams up, or are the legs just too far behind his brain?

We all remember the young Cole, with his quick feet and seemingly limitless potential. The new Gazza, emerging as the old one burned him-self out. Chelsea got his best years, England saw flashes of his brilliance. All that, though, is a long time ago.

After the disappoint-ment of his time at Anfield, and his second spell at his spiritual home, Villa represents a final shot at redemption. Can his legs take it? BBM

Hero: Joe Cole is now playing for Aston Villa

The family club

It’s fair to say that West Ham is a way of life for

us all with a gathering of friends and family coming together on a Saturday to cheer on the boys in claret and blue.

In fact, it is due to those family links that most of us came to support West Ham – the love of the club being passed on from one generation to the next and I’d say that as you look around the crowds at Upton Park, it’s fairly common to see fathers and sons at the games together.

What isn’t so common though, is when the generational shared love spills from the stands and out onto the pitch – yet it seems to be that sons have tread the same hallowed turf as their fa-thers more at the Boleyn Ground than most.

The BrownsKenny Brown Snr was a local lad from Dagenham so it was no surprise he was picked up by West Ham in the early 50s, making his debut in 1953. As part of the Malcom Allison era, he was first choice centre half and an established

first teamer with an England cap by the time a young Bobby Moore came into the team. He made a total of 386 league appearances, the highlight of which was the successive Wembley cup finals in 1964 and 1965.

Kenny Brown Jnr was born in 1967, just as his father was leaving the club. Despite the nomadic career of Kenny Snr, Kenny Jnr found his own way to Upton Park via Norwich and Plymouth, being signed by Billy Bonds in 1991. A less illustrious career

compared to his father, he only made 63 appear-ances at full back for the Hammers but he will forever be remembered for his goal against Manchester United that prevented them from winning the Premier League

The LampardsProbably the most famous father and son duo to don the claret and blue and proof habit is tough to break with both football clubs and Christian names. Frank Senior is a club legend, having made 660

appearances at left back. An impressive 22 goals were scored form the full back position, the most famous of which was the winner in the 1980 FA Cup Semi Final at Elland Road, followed by his jig around the corner flag.

Frank Snr forged a strong friendship with Bobby Moore through-out his time at Upton Park, and it was the lure of linking up with Bobby at Southend that finally ended his association with West Ham in 1985.

Frank Jnr, is not as fondly remembered as his father, despite going on to achieve many great things in the game. Coming into the team under the cloud of nep-otism claims, he firmly established himself in the first team until the sacking of Uncle Harry and Dad Frank caused him to throw his toys out of the pram and leave under a dark cloud.

A public disdain of the way he perceived his treatment to have been during his time mean that rather than taking pride in one of our own making 106 England ap-pearances, and winning countless trophies – he

West Ham’s generation game still shows no sign of stoppingMarcus Johns on the fathers and sons who have played for the Irons

Big moment: Frank Lampard with his son, who would also play for West Ham

will forever be held in contempt at the Boleyn.

The PottsIn recent times, there’s been somewhat of a baby boom of ex-players from the 90s’ children coming through our youth team ranks at the moment. It’s fitting that one of the most promising of these are the Potts.

Steve was an Amer-ican-born youth team graduate and played 505 times for the first team in a career stretching from 1985 to 2002. Tak-ing over the captaincy after Julian Dicks left for Liverpool, he was a twice Hammer of the Year. His one and only goal came in the 1990/91 promotion campaign in a 7-1 victory against Hull. In recent years, he has coached the Under 16’s and Under 18’s Development squads.

From those develop-ment squads, son Daniel has recently arrived at the end of the conveyor belt and into the first team squad. Despite playing only a handful of first team games so far, and finding himself be-hind new signing Aaron Cresswell at left back, he is well thought of within the club. Successful loan spells at Colchester and Portsmouth have helped him to gain first team experience.

The MoncursJohn amassed cult status during his nine year spell at West Ham, having previously plied his trade at Tottenham

and Swindon. During his 176 appearances, he was always more likely to find himself in the referee’s notebook rather than on the score sheet.

Geroge has so far only been limited to a smat-tering of cup appear-ances, but seems to have carried his father’s com-bativeness into his game, picking up a yellow in the crushing 5-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest in January. Currently on loan at Colchester.

The LeesRob Lee is probably more famous for being a West Ham fan than he is for being a West Ham player. Featured in 16 games during our

Championship season in 2003/4.

Son Elliott has also experienced a limited number of games in the first team, but is rated as one of the hottest prospects at the club. Similar to George Mon-cur, a loan move will be expected soon to further his education.

Other Family MattersWhilst not strictly players, physiotherapy duties were passed from Bill Jenkins to son Rob Jenkins meaning they looked after the wellbe-ing of the players from 1959 until 1990.

Other notable men-tions must be for Paul, Martin and Clive Allen

(cousins) who all pulled on the claret and blue, and also for the uncle/nephew team of Alan Sealey, scorer of both goals in our 1965 Cup Winners Cup game vs 1860 Munich, and Les, who joined us as goal-keeper in his twilight of his career.

Who will be the next inter-generation pairing? Which of the current crop are likely to keep it in the family? Will future generations of Nobles be patrolling our midfield? Young Carroll’s troubling our injury tables?

Either way, one thing is apparent. The club must have the same allure to some of the players as it does the fans. BBM

Two of a kind: John Moncur and (inset) his son George

West Ham Ladies

Kinsman demands more as Irons target top three finishDavid Blackmore meets a striker who has been to Barking and back

After watching West Ham Ladies captain

Stacey Little lift the Essex County Cup at the end of last season, Vicky Kinsman knew she wanted to re-join the Hammers.

The forward had been playing against West Ham for the Barking Ladies and despite her best efforts, watched on helplessly as her team were comfortably swept aside 5-1 at AFC Horn-church’s stadium.

But Kinsman knew the step up to the Wom-en’s Premier League Southern Division was going to be tough so she spent the summer going to the gym almost daily to ensure she was ready for the Ladies’ trials - a commitment she says she is still reaping the benefits of.

‘I knew some of the girls from when I played for West Ham 10 years ago but I was really nervous at the trials because I wasn’t sure I was going to get in but Julian [Dicks] seemed to like me and I’ve played every game, which has been more than I could have ever hoped for,’ she said.

‘I always felt that I could still do a job in this league and make the step up to West Ham from Barking and thanks to the work I put in before pre-season started, I feel as fit as I’ve ever been and I feel like I’ve done well so far this season.

‘I’ve managed to

score a couple of goals but I know my role in this team is to hold the ball up and get others involved. I’m good in the air and I think I’ve got a good work rate and put the effort in to track back and put tackles in.”

She added: ‘I’ve just been enjoying my foot-ball - even though I’ve

picked up a few more knocks in this league than I’ve been used to for a few years.’

Kinsman admitted the Ladies have been inconsistent so far this campaign with wins against QPR, Lewes and Plymouth mixed with defeats to Tottenham Hotspur, Copsewood and Portsmouth.

But after beating Spurs 2-0 earlier this month, she is now setting her sights on a top three finish.

‘It was a brilliant result and performance for us,’ she continued. ‘We were quality from start to finish and I enjoyed ev-ery minute of it because we dominated from the start.

“You could see Spurs were getting more and more frustrated that things weren’t going their way, especially just before half-time because we really were on top on them.

‘To be honest we could have scored more and our performance cer-tainly warranted a bigger scoreline because every-one put in 100 per cent and after the game, the manager said he couldn’t

On the ball: Kinsman goes on the attack against Spurs

Hammers fans dig deep to

help ladiesMore than £2,500 has been donated by West Ham fans across the world to help the Ladies pay for expenditure including kit and pitch hire.

The fundraising page was set up by captain Stacey Little at the start of Sep-tember and appeals for “donations to help the Ladies this season as the girls currently have to pay £100 per player.

Any money raised will help go towards: playing kit and training kit costs; coach hire for away games; match-day costs including pitch hire.”

The page has been shared by almost 1,000 people and 100 people have dipped into their pocket to support the cause.

The Sydney Ham-mers have paid the largest donation so far at £135 followed by West Ham fan Trevor Roberts and Hong Kong resident Mark Fisher both donating £100.

You can help the West Ham Ladies reach their target of £10,000 by visiting http://www.gofund-me.com/dyluxc

fault our work rate. We were very unlucky when they beat us at home at the start of the season so to go to their ground and dominate from start to finish was great.’

Kinsman says the club can still achieve their top three target but admits the ladies need to become a lot more consistent.

‘If we put in more performances like we the one we put in against Spurs game, we can finish in the top three for sure.

‘In some of our other

games we’ve only been playing well for half a game but against Spurs we were firing right from the off.’

As for her evolving partnership with Emma Sherwood, another summer signing by the club, she said: ‘I think we’ve formed a good partnership already.

‘We’re both new so as well as learning each other’s game, we’ve had to work hard to learn about the rest of the team as well.

‘It was always going to be hard at the start but

we work well together. She has this flick which always seems to find me and she’s great at anticipating my flick-ons in the air and running onto them.”

Asked about her mem-ories of playing in last season’s cup final against West Ham, she replied: ‘I always knew we were the underdogs going into the game but we knew they hadn’t enjoyed a good season.

‘I felt we gave them a good game and I think the scoreline flattered them a bit.’ BBM

Levels: West Ham need to maintain their high standards Photos: Mickey Cartwright

The varied bunch that makes up our ‘Claret and Blue Army’

The last word

West Ham attracts all sorts of fans: the good, the bad and the ugly

West Ham’s fanbase has always been a

pretty broad church.Indeed, we like to

think that anyone, what-ever their gender, creed, race or sexuality is wel-come to be a foot soldier in Sam Allardyce’s claret and blue army.

But this month we’ve been shocked to learn, thanks to hours of painstaking research by the boffins at Blowing Bubbles Towers, that there are actually only seven distinct species of Hammers supporters…

1 The Old GitsConstantly harping on about ‘the good old days’ these fine fellows qualify if they have actually seen the club win a trophy that isn’t the Intertoto Cup.

They know that for every modern hero there was a better one in the past – ‘Paolo di Canio you say? Not a patch on Ronnie Boyce I’m afraid’ – and are often found in the Black Lion. Drinking bitter.

2 The Power TrollsAn expanding group, these fans don’t actually attend live matches but

stream the games over the internet and watch them in their bedrooms with the curtains drawn.

Aggressive and easily provoked, the keyboard warriors are hardly ever seen in the flesh but can be recognised from their poor skin and weedy build.

3 The Basildon MafiaOften found wearing Ben Sherman shirts (with the top button done up naturally) and an improbable amount of hair gel, these gang

like to ‘have it large’ at every opportunity before heading home and being turned away from Sugar Hut.

4 The Face PaintersThis passionate bunch are happy to buy flags, take a selfie with Hammerhead and send their wedding snaps in to the official match day magazine.

Karen Brady’s second favourite type of fan, this lot will buy their Christmas presents in the club shop and never

complain about the prices. Kerching!

5 The HooligansFortunately this danger-ous breed’s numbers are now on the decline and are most often found in London’s smaller publishing houses attempting to sell their memoirs. Approach with caution.

6 The Football Manager GenerationThis group know every-thing about every player in the world.

West Ham sign unher-alded right-back from Heerenveen? Fear not! This boy knows all his stats and will quite hap-pily declare him ‘quality’ or ‘rubbish’ before he even kicks a ball.

7 The BankersKaren Brady’s first favourite type of fan this lot spend big and rep-resent Europe’s biggest hedge funds, or at least the ones that can’t afford a box at Arsenal.These Hooray Henry’s know their claret from their Beaujolais and have even been known to watch some of the football. BBM

Good times: A West Ham fan celebrates at the play-off final

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