What a difference a club makes. A few months ago, Javier Mascherano couldn’t get selected for West Ham’s ailing first XI. He was rated behind the likes of Hayden Mullins and Nigel Medi-Ocre. Having watched Mascherano closely during the 2006 World Cup in Germany, this astonished me – the young Argentine was clearly one of [...]

West Ham defender Lucas Neill has complained about the ‘disgusting’ treatment he received on his return to Ewood Park: ‘Five-and-a-half years at the club, 100 per cent commitment, I’ve never gone to the papers, never complained about anything and then, when I want to further myself for my own personal benefit, whether it be backwards, [...]

West Ham United‘s season goes from bad to worse after it was revealed that the police are set to make investigations into the club. Before you start, it won’t be for criminal defending, but something rather more serious. From shambles to shameful, the Hammers season hit a new low on Sunday when large groups of [...]

Why didn’t Paul Konchesky commit a professional foul on Jermain Defoe and stop a likely winning goal for Spurs (see video)? Yes, he would have been sent off, but he would have probably earned a precious point for his club. Gary Neville sure as hell wouldn’t have let Defoe run that far and take a [...]

News reaches us that Premiership chairmen are going to be forced into cutting ‘obscene’ ticket prices because fans have just about had enough of being the victims of daylight robbery every weekend, and as a result, football has reached a tipping point. Two top-flight chairmen have expressed the same view, both of whom predict price [...]

Tomorrow, Charlton Athletic take on West Ham at the Valley. Normally pundits would be foaming about how it’s a ‘crucial six-pointer’ but since there’s a very good chance that both teams will go down whatever the result, that’s taken as read. Anyway, the question is: who do you think is the better manager? Alan Pardew [...]

Alan ‘Last of the Big Spenders’ Curbishley is the first Premiership manager to splash some decent cash on transfer deadline day. Curbs has taken Birmingham City defender Matthew Upson to West Ham for an initial £6 million. The 27-year-old has decided a five-month jaunt in the Premiership is just what he needs before returning to [...]

Lucas Neill has decided on the latter. Despite interest from Barcelona after his impressive World Cup and a contract on the table from Liverpool, Neill has made the distinctly sideways move from Blackburn Rovers to West Ham. The reason? If we are to believe the rumours the Hammers will be paying the Australian international £60,000 [...]

Fans who have experienced the thrill of an away match will know how addictive it is. The trip down, the pre-match pints in a strange pub, being in a strange ground. It’s like a holiday with a football match stuck in the middle of it! However, loads give it a wide berth because they can’t [...]

http://www.4thegame.com/media/00/02/85/benayoun_yossi_whfc_profile_2005.jpg Yossi Benayoun has hit out at West Ham’s performances, highlighting the 6-0 annihilation at Reading. Benayoun, who originally turned down a move to Bolton Wanderers, now 4th in the table said “I am ashamed. I am shocked at the way we played. We played like a bunch of drunks…

With Chelsea‘s Shaun Wright-Phillips the subject of much transfer spectulation (with the most noise coming from West Ham it has to be said), it’s worth watching SWP in action. Not on a football pitch, but in a restaraunt getting stitched up by football’s very own Snoop Dogg, Rio Ferdinand. Brrapp! [Mof Gimmers]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/tyne/content/images/2006/08/10/julian_dicks_150x180.jpg If you go to the Shepherd and Dog in the village of Langham on the Essex/Suffolk border you can get a well appointed bar with a wide variety of real ales and guest ales. You can also get some forthright opinions on the state of the current West Ham squad from propreiter Julian Dicks.
The Hammers cult hero has launched an attack…

Here are some extra special News Balls dedicated to Les Reed and Alan Curbishley: the men everyone is talking about, apparently! Les warns Alan Curbishley off Darren Bent Why Steven Gerrard hates Les Curbs wants to sign Nigel Reo-Coker And Curbs faces challenge to win over Paul Konchesky [Rob Parker]

http://soccernet-att.espn.go.com/design05/images/domr/AlanCurbishley205_pc_g.jpg Well, with alarming predictability, Alan Curbishley has been unveiled as the new manager of West Ham United. Chairman Egg’ Magnusson moved sharply to appoint the former Charlton gaffer after sacking Alan Pardew on Monday. “I’m deeply delighted,” said Curbishley. “It’s a privilege to be here and I’m looking forward to lifting us out of the position we’re in.” Curbishley will take charge of his new squad for the first time against Manchester United on Sunday. Welcome to the deep end Alan…

With all this talk of Alan Pardew, it’s perhaps the perfect time to recall a peak in his career. Before his management days, he liked to play a bit of football. His greatest match came for Crystal Palace against the mighty Liverpool side of the late nineties…

http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/uploads/photos/perm/main/OAEJAMIBBANG/CAR_PHI_178_JB.jpg aturday’s match between Bolton Wanderers and West Ham had dramatic consequences. As we know, the 4-0 drubbing which the Hammers received resulted in Alan Pardew’s sacking. Well, if you consider what Bolton’s half-time entertainment was for the day, you’ll be forgiven for thinking that the West Hams fans didn’t totally waste their time with their trip North. Why?…

http://www.4thegame.com/media/00/03/11/pardew_alan_whfc_profile_2005new.jpg Oh dear. Oh dear oh dear oh dear. West Ham have announced that they will make a statement regarding the future of boss Alan Pardew at 2.15pm (GMT) on Monday. The Hammers have struggled all season and are currently in 18th place in the Premiership following Saturday’s 4-0 annihilation at the hands of Bolton Wanderers…

Jokers in the West Ham squad have forced Argentinian striker Carlos Tevez to train in a Brazil shirt after he stormed out of Upton Park after being substituted against Sheffield United. Tevez was reportedly also ordered to pay a £1,000 fine to Great Ormond Street Hospital by the dressing room jury. Manager Alan Pardew announced [...]

West Ham’s Carlos Tevez has said he is sorry for his huge hissy fit that saw him stropping out of Upton Park after he was substituted at the weekend. The Argentine striker was keen to make amends for reacting angrily during the 1-0 win against Sheffield United. He said: "I know I did very wrong [...]

The force should be strong with West Ham once Eggert Magnusson‘s takeover goes through. [Rob Parker]

West Ham have announced they have accepted Eggert Magnusson’s £85m takeover bid for the club. Magnusson’s consortium have secured agreements to buy 83% of shares and the Hammers’ board have recommended the offer to remaining shareholders. The Icelander will replace Terry Brown as the chairman at Upton Park, although Brown will stay on at Upton [...]

Chelsea face West Ham at Stamford Bridge tomorrow. A goal half as good as this one from the corresponding fixture four seasons ago would not go amiss. West Ham won that game 2-3. Step forward the friendly face of facism, Paolo di Canio! [Rob Parker]

Lord Stevens is being urged to name innocent clubs today that are not involved in his bungs investigation. Several club chairmen will put their case at a meeting today, arguing that their clubs have been tainted by accusations after Lord Stevens announced that there were a total of eight clubs and 39 deals under investigation. [...]

West Ham‘s Teddy Sheringham has been told to start acting his age by the father of Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas. Francesc Fabregas Snr – who at the 39 is one year younger than the Sheringham – was speaking after the veteran striker clashed with his son during the fiery meeting between the two sides on [...]

Arsene Wenger and Alan Pardew have both been handed improper conduct charges by the FA following their scuffle at Upton Park on Saturday. A statement on the FA website said: " The charges relate to their alleged aggressive and confrontational behaviour towards the end of the match at Upton Park on Sunday 5 November. They [...]