Where are They Now: Paul Kitson?

Along with Big Johnny Hartson, Paul Kitson saved us from relegation in 1996-97 season. He was one of those players that would score in bursts - loads of goals and then a drought. But he did well for us in the few seasons he was here. I also remember him being frozen out of the team. He hadn’t played for nearly two years and then he came back and scored a hat-trick in a 4-4 draw with Charlton at the Valley in 2001? I gather he now lives on Teesside, but am not sure what he’s doing job wise.

Glenn Roeder: An Apology

In November I, in common with several others, questioned the sanity of the Norwich City Board in appointing Glenn Roeder as their manager. Using phrases like “Roeder comes up smelling of Canaries” and “I feel so sorry for the Canaries”, I may have inadvertantly given the impression that my views of Roeder’s management skills were akin to the attitude of a dog to a tree. In addition, I mistakenly wrote that his motivational skills are a bit rubbish.

I now realise that I was completely wrong on all counts, and that Glenn Roeder is a manager of supreme ability and motivational skills, which has resulted in an eleven match unbeaten run and City rising from bottom place to thirteenth place in the Championship. I now fully accept that his relegations with Gillingham, Watford and, er, West Ham were a mere blip on the road to his true destiny - taking Norwich City to the Premiership. I thank you.

Actually, I will give him his due. He’s got you out of the mire in a very short time. Kudos for that. However, we too were taken in by Roeder when he took us to 7th place in his first season with us. The next season he lost the dressing room and we were relegated. City fans shouldn’t count their canaries just yet…

My West Ham: Con Coughlin

Con Coughlin and I share a page in the Daily Telegraph every other Friday. He’s the Foreign Editor.
How did you become a Hammer?It’s in my blood. I come from a long line of East Enders (I was born in Stepney) who supported West Ham. My granny went out with a West Ham player (name unknown) in the 1920s and my Dad, who was a football writer for the Sunday Telegraph, grew up with them. Harry Redknapp is my Aunt Pat’s cousin.

Your first game? Must have been about 1963. Mr Dad (Con snr) often used to take me to the old press box at Upton Park when he was covering matches, and I think I first went about 1963 (when I was but I can’t remember who we played. I just remember all the players’ names began with “b” - Boyce, Bond, Brabrook etc..But I do remember us beating Preston North End 3-2 in the 1964 cup final.

How many games do you get to?
As I travel so much for work I don’t get to as many as I’d like. I had a season ticket two years ago, but missed so many matches I gave it up. Nowadays probably get to half a dozen a season. Last saw us lose to Everton in the League Cup - aaaggghhh!! Watch all the live games on telly.

Most memorable moment?
When West Ham won the World Cup in 1966 - and, yes, I was there. My Dad knew the copper running security at Wembley, and slipped him a fiver so we could get in. I was 11, and I had a plank of wood on a camping stool so I could see the game (we were standing on the terrace). Every time a goal was scored, the crowd surged forward and I was knocked off my little stool, which I then had to reconstruct. I spent more time putting this contraption together than watching the game. But I do remember Hurst sprinting off to score the fourth goal, and as we came out of Wembley I clearly remember the Evening News front page headline - “West Ham win the World Cup.” I’ve still got my World Cup Willie rosette!!

Have you met any Hammers players?
I used to know a few through Dad. We moved out to Upminister, and Dad knew quite a few of the players who lived in the neighbourhood through work and playing golf. Jimmy Greaves was a close family friend and my brother and myself once went on a boating holiday with Jim and his two boys, Danny and Andrew, on the Norfolk Broads. Whenever we tied up people would come up and say, “You’re Jimmy Greaves”, and he would get all embarrassed and say, no, he just looked like him. He was in his prime at Spurs then and was such a lovely, funny guy. I remember Greavesy coming round to us in 1966 after the Uruguay game and showed us the big hole that had been kicked out of his leg, which made him miss the final. He was in tears over it. Dad also knew Bobby Ferguson, the goalie, who became a close family friend. He still keeps in touch with my Mum from Australia, where he moved after he finished playing. As a student I used to work in the King’s Head pub in Hornchurch which was the haunt of many of the players from the mid-1970s - Pat Holland, Tommy Taylor, John McDowell - etc..and I used to serve them their half a lager and limes at Sunday lunchtime - priceless!

Favourite current player?
Mark Noble. Not only has he got the talent, he’s got the attitude - the Billy Bonds tackle with the Trevor Brooking class.

Describe last season. How did it affect you?
For a lifelong hammer, totally predictable. I was in Cardiff for the Cup Final where we totally outplayed Liverpool and deserved to win. Then a few months later we are playing like a pub team. Typical. But that’s why we love them.

What are your hopes for this season?It would be nice to finish in the top six, but with the injuries we’ve got I think we’d be lucky to get eighth. I’d just like to see what kind of team Curbs would put out if he had everyone fit.

Choose your all time Hammers Eleven
Parkes, Dicks, Moore, Martin, Lampard (snr) Brooking, Bonds, Devonshire, Peters, Greaves, Hurst - reserves: Green, McDowell, Paddon, Cottee, Di Canio

What do your colleagues make of your support for West Ham
I think they’d like me to talk about something more interesting - like how to win the war on terror or who’s going to win the American presidential election.

When you’re reporting on West Ham games how difficult is it to be objective?
Impossible. I remember going with my Dad when I was a teenager and sitting in the press box when we stuffed Chelsea 3-0 - I was jumping up at every goal and getting some very cross looks from the likes of Brian Glanville.

Complete this sentence: The thing I hate about West Ham is…
…they fade and die - Liverpool in the cup final, Everton this season in the League Cup - it’s now 28 years of hurt!

Complete this sentence: The thing I love about West Ham is…
…they rise so high - when the crowd gets behind them and they go for it, there’s no better place in the world than Upton Park.

Oh What Fun It Is To See… [er, shurely shome mishtake - ed]

After Wednesday’s performance against Liverpool I fully expected to be able to write a rave review about yet another away win at Wigan this evening (or this lunchtime, as it is here in Washington). But oh no, that couldn’t be, could it. Because it is after all West Ham we support. I suppose I should have known better.

I listened to the commentary on the club site and from that it seemed that only Upson and Ferdinand had what could be described as good games.

Did anybody go? How did you see it?

Are We Too Tough on Boa Morte?

Lucas Neill has written a new BLOG with many positive words about the Liverpool performance. However, he says he cannot understand the reaction to Boa Morte being substituted. He says Boa Morte is suffering a crisis of confidence and says we should look at what has happened to Cole now that the crowd is behind him.

The reaction to Boa Morte’s substitution was entirely caused by the way he loped off the pitch. It would have been understandable if we were winning, but it lost us valuable time.

I try never to barrack one of our own players. What’s the point? What can it possibly achieve? But even I was driven to boo him off the pitch. I feel slightly ashamed of myself now, but we’re only human.