This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 16th, 2008 at 11:32 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Get Your Bids In
West Ham Till I Die
Iain Dale’s Hammers Diary
Twitter- An error has occurred; the feed is probably down. Try again later.
Blogroll
- Belgian Irons
- Bobby Moore Online
- Bubble View
- Claret & Blue In My Blood
- Dutch Hammers
- Ex Hammers Magazine
- Hammered Blog
- Hammers in the Heart Blog
- Herita Ilunga
- Iain Dale’s Diary
- In the Brown Stuff Forum
- Irons’ Curtain
- Just Like My Dreams Blog
- Knees Up Mother Brown
- KUMB Forum
- News Now West Ham Feed
- Norwegian Hammers
- Pardew’s Guardian Blog
- Rapid Hammer (Austria)
- Sauerland Hammers (Germany)
- Sky Sports Hammers Page
- Slightly West of West Ham
- Team Talk Hammers Page
- Tenerife Hammers
- The H List
- Vilatorta Hammers
- West Ham Blog
- West Ham Caught Offside Blog
- West Ham Fans
- West Ham Fans Sveridge
- West Ham Official Site
- West Ham Online
- West Ham Pals
- West Ham Process
- West Ham Stats
- West Ham Transfer Rumours
- WHU Australian Blog
Contact Me
Email iain AT iaindale DOT comAbout Iain Dale
I'm a season ticket holder in the Dr Martens Lower and originally come from Saffron Walden in Essex, although I now live in Tunbridge Wells. By day I am a political writer and commentator for various media organisations including the Daily Telegraph, the BBC and Sky News. I am also publisher of the new monthly magazine called TOTAL POLITICS. I want this blog to be a mixture of gossip, humour, reporting and analysis - with the odd rant thrown in too. My other blog is a political one at http://iaindale.blogspot.com and if West Ham Till I Die attracts half as many readers as that, I'll be very happy.Archives
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
Meta
Celebrity Hammers Fans
Adrian Mills (That's Life) - Andy Murray - Barack Obama - Ben Shepherd - Billy Bragg - Billy Murray - Bob Ballard (Radio 5 Live) - Bryan Forbes - Carolyn Quinn (Radio 4) - Chesney Hawkes - Con Coughlin (Daily Telegraph) - Danny Dyer - David Amess MP - David Gold - Dave Grohl (Nirvana) - David Croft (Radio 5 Live) - David Essex - Denis Campbell (The Observer) - Fi Glover - Frank Bruno - Frank Dobson MP - Glen Murphy - Graham Gooch - James Corden - James Gaddas - Jeremy Nicholas - Jim Fitzpatrick MP - Jim Munro - Jo O'Meara (S Club 7) - John Cleese - John Cole (Fmr BBC Political Editor) - Johnny Herbert - Keith Flint (The Prodigy) - Keira Knightley - Kenny Lynch - Kris Akabusi - Kyle McLachlan (Twin Peaks) - Lee Clayton - Lee Evans - Lee Hurst - Len Goodman - Lennox Lewis - Leslie Grantham - Maculey Culkin - Mark Webster (ITN) - Martin Brundle - Martin Hancock (Spider in Coronation Street) - Martin Kelner (TalkSport) - Martin Samuel - Matt Lorenzo - Mike Gapes MP - Nanette Newman - Nick Berry - Nigel Morris (Independent) - Noel Edmonds - Paul McGinley (Golfer) - Paul Pritchard (Cricketer) - Paul Ross - Perry Fenwick - Phil Collen (Def Leppard) - Phil Jupitus - Ray Winstone - Reg Varney - Richard Digence - Richard E Grant - Rob Shepherd - Rod Stewart - Roger O'Donnell (The Cure) - Ross Kemp - Russell Brand - Sally Gunnell - Scott Maslen (The Bill) - Sebastian Faulks - Simon Day (Fast Show) - Simon Walters (Mail on Sunday) - Stephen Timms MP - Steve Jones (LBC) - Steve Harris (Iron Maiden) - Terence Stamp - Terry Spinks - Todd Carty - Tommy Walsh (Ground Force) - Tony McNulty MP - Will Lewis - (Daily Telegraph)-
West Ham Till I Die 
i give you 2 camels.
I was interested till I saw the postage was £6.50.
Funny, but yet another great team with super supporters pushed to the limit by fast buck businessmen.
A lump of coal, and not a ha’p’nny more… Perhaps Sunderland would be interested?
It will be us soon, what with a chairman that has a penchant for firms that go bust, and who unsurprisingly can’t find a buyer for West Ham, now that he needs the pocket change a sale will bring.
There but for the grace of god………..
Roshi, I think ‘fast buck businessmen’ is a bit harsh, especially when applied to Mike Ashley at Newcastle. Granted, so some of his business practices in the past have been…questionable…(I especially like the “Closing Down!!!” sales, a week after he which he opens another shop next door) but I don’t think he can be classified with a lot of the owners clubs have now (west ham included) – this is a guy who is actually a fan of the club he bought.
I don’t think there are too many of us who have not, at one point or another, have said to ourselves/mates/spouse that “If i won 40 million quid on the lottery I’ll help out my team.”. Okay, so 40M doesn’t even buy you Robinho and Anton Ferdinand these days, but the point remains. Ashley is a guy who – even after shelling out 100M+ to buy the club, then poured another 110M to pay off a few debts.
Personally I think that all the “cockney mafia out” rubbish the Geordies are spouting would be better off directed at their so-called Messiah, a man who has walked out on every single managerial job he’s had; Fulham, Newcastle (twice!) England and Man City. He’s not even a very good manager…
Funny picture, though. Be interesting to see if anybody actually does make a bid for the barcodes. Heard some frankly ridiculous rumours that Bill Gates might give it a go, which is interesting because I’d heard his philanthropy foundation was set up to throw money at lost causes.
Plus every couple of years it seems to be a ‘new’ Newcastle, without any of the flaws of the previous incarnations, only for everybody to then realise that it’s all a facade and its just as bad as it was. Hmmm…sound familiar, Mr Microsoft?
It is very sad and just shows how much we , the suppoters matter, our working class game is becoming and rich mans play thing, this is what happens when they can’t have there own way or just get bored, maybe it’s time for all supporters to stand together and take them on before it’s too late.
They’d have to pay me – millions!!
i think the whole problem with newcastle utd is the fans.they have the same expectations as totscum and have ruined there club.the presure they put there manager under is creating a bad feeling around the club.
ring any bells?
Ashley is a Spurs fan
“I was interested till I saw the postage was £6.50.”
Roy wins. Nice.
Chris, Mike Ashley did not buy Newcastle as a quick route to jump up the season ticket list. He bought it as a viable business, that he felt with a decent amount of money thrown at it would become a top four club, resulting in massive profits against his investment including the sale of replica kits Worldwide through his sports clothing wholesalers and retail outlets. Men of Mike Ashley’s ilk do not get involved with investing that kind of money because they are a ‘supporter’ there has to be return on investment.
The situation that West Ham and Newcastle have found themselves in over the last couple of weeks is down purely to big money being invested in the respective clubs by men who are used to having the last say on how their business (investments ) are run.
That is why, pure and simple Curbs became frustrated because he was seen by the board as middle management and someone who had to be told who or what he was going to buy and who he was going to sell….these are boardroom decisions not the decision of the ‘bloke who coaches the commodities’… sorry players!
In real terms a manager who was prepared to argue the point (Curbishley, Keegan, Jol to name a few) is being naive and although resigns because he feels ‘out of the loop’ is in actual fact a victim of constructive dismissal, the first thing Zola said was that “he would be happy to report to the director of football”, or for happy, read “sign this contract old son which states that you will coach and we will manage!”
I know it will be said by any football supporter reading this, that, in Italy or Spain it’s always been the directors who buy and sell and the coach is a coach not a manager, but that is because they have always traditionally been the countries who have had the mega rich teams and big investment. Remember our teams were usually chaired by the local butcher or landowner, its all new to us and particularly the old school manager.
Unfortunately these new investors, although healthy for the bank balance do not seem to understand or care for the traditions of football (Bill Kenright at Everton excluded…a real fan). It will be interesting to see over the coming weeks how clubs start to feel the crunch with their massive borrowing and I fear with our Viking bankers we could be among the first to suffer big time, do not be surprised if at least one Premier League club does not make it to the end of the season!
E1 and Lastword: Snap out of it. Football hasn’t been a working man’s sport for decades, and WHUFC aren’t up for sale. Stop reading the rags.
I can think of a few clubs, Chelsea among them, that have a big name investor who gets involved from time to time, but allows the management reasonable input… And, hate them as some may, Chelsea are a successful side…
The Hammers situation is very different from that of Newcastle.
West Ham is not up for sale. Sure anything is up for sale for a price, but no one is hawking the hammers around, despite what the NOTW says…
BG got Curbs out because he didn’t feel he was the man for the job. Many fans hate change and are short sighted: “best start in 6 seasons” I heard. Yep, but did you SEE the games. We were very lucky. Curbs was a stabilizing influence, and did the job, but he isn’t the man to captain the ship into the upper echelons of the Premier league.
The Hammers have dealt effectively and professionally with Curbs’s resignation. We have a new manager, coach and fitness guru. Don’t tell me we didn’t need a new fitness guru. Look at the Curbs inspired injury list we got last year.
Newcastle?? They are managerless, in turmoil, and up for sale. Who in their right mind is going to buy a rudderless supertanker for a staggering 400 million pounds!!??
Keegan will be back, but only after Christmas when Newcastle have been sold for 200million. That’s one way to write off a season.
Let me check my piggy bank. Nah, nowhere near the 481 squillion that Ashley wants. Seriously though, i hope the barcodes sort the problem out. It’s a shame to see any club going through the turmoil that they are. Times change, They always do. It’s the only thing that you can be sure of. Like it or not, football has changed. The days of being owned by a local businessman & sponsored by Dagenham motors are long gone, & if you don’t have the funds to buy top players or keep the youth that you have cultivated, you become an also ran. I don’t like what is happening to ownership at the moment any more than anyone else, but what is the alternative ? The trophy has no morales. It just has your name inscribed, forever. If Ashley can’t support Newcastle, i hope he finds a buyer. If Gudmundsson can no longer afford to take us forward, i hope he sells. An oil sheik ? No problem. If they have the money to buy the players to achieve success, i don’t care if a conglomerate from outer mongolia has it’s name on the deeds. What’s the difference ? I am still a Hammer, the tradition & the memories live in my heart. No one can take that away. It’s about time we had some success. You can’t do that these days by selling players to balance the budget. I wish we still lived in the days of Fred Macmurray & My Three Sons, but we don’t.
ashley lives 2 minutes away from my work in berkhamsted.anyone want his address?
Sod Newcastle please sign this petition – great idea!
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/RFCMOORE/
Still, the Newcastle thing has made me aware of a few things. Like how Ashley opened a Jobcentre plus office for the natives at St James Park, sky news had some good coverage of the happy dole boys queueing outside it at all hours last week. Also his literacy campaign needs a bit of tweaking, as some of the examples of the local illiterates attempts at writing on bedsheets left a lot to be desired.
What a great petition Hammerhead. Iain you should give this it’s own heading on your blog, so that it will not be missed
Sorry to change the subject slightly …
http://www.petitiononline.com/RFCMOORE/petition.html
Roshi; looks like I might have to back most of what I said after seeing the amount of cash Ashley wants to sell Newcastle. The mind boggles.
Signed that petition, marvellous idea. That kind of gesture is the reason that I don’t mind Villa doing well, despite Nigel Medi-Ocre being there.
Incidentally, these is wildly off-topic, might be something for Ian to write about one day (if he hasn’t already)…but for me West Ham are my ‘second’ team (handed down from my father. Ooh, thanks Dad…other kids get houses and cars, I get West Ham and high cholesterol! 😉 ), behind my “local” team, the mighty (haha) Torquay United. Now that I live in the US Blue Square Premier coverage is rather thin on the ground.
Anybody else have more than one team that they follow?
Hammerhead – Well done for bringing this to the front line – If it happened, It would be the first time that I would buy a club shirt in a long while – Iain – this has to have its own post as per Roshis post.
I offer you some beer
The nicest beer left after Ashley drunk it all.
Iain, hang on a minute. I might be alright. I have a colour photocopier. I might be able to print up 481 mill the same as the United States & Zimbabwe are doing. I’ll get started then. Gotta go down the newsagents, get some paper.
15mmmmilion on sicknotes bellamy dyer thats why you were sacked!!!!! you tool!!
bellamy injured again ,,thats it we might as well right him off as well as dyer……..sorry we are doomed theres no way we can survive this,same old story,so glad weve gone foreign we might have a future,spend big on strikers in jan or we are down west ham!!!!!!! credit crunch to bad!!!!!