*He went 106 minutes in a 3-1 loss to Birmingham.
*Highlights after the jump...
Showing posts with label West Ham. Show all posts
Showing posts with label West Ham. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Spector goes 106 minutes as West Ham crash out of the Carling Cup
*He went 106 minutes in a 3-1 loss to Birmingham.
*Highlights after the jump...
Saturday, January 22, 2011
MOTD Highlights of Yanks in the Prem: Dempsey, Howard, Friedel, and Spector
Here are the Match of the Day highlights of all of the Americans playing in the Premier League today. If you are going to watch any video today, then this is the one. Spector with a goal, Friedel with a shutout, and Dempsey with a brace. Good stuff. videos after the jump...
Friedel with Aston Villa
Spector with West Ham and Howard with Everton
Dempsey with Fulham
http://www.zshare.net/video/85600124a50eefcf/
Spector scores for West Ham in 2-2 draw
*He scored for West Ham in a 2-2 draw with Everton.
*Highlights after the jump...
szólj hozzá: Ev2-2We[matchhighlight.com]wmv
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Spector gets 2 assists in Carling Cup win
*He got 2 assists in a 2-1 win over Birmingham.
*West Ham 2 Birmingham 1: Spector-tastic!
*Highlights after the jump...
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Spector is sub as West Ham draw Howard and Everton
*Howard was in goal as Spector came on in the 35th minute in a 1-1 draw.
*Highlights after the jump...
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Spector starts in midfield as West Ham fall to Man City
*He went the distance in a 3-1 loss to Man City.
*Watch the full match here
*Highlights after the jump...
Sunday, December 5, 2010
MOTD 2 of YA in the Prem: Spector
Spector starts in midfield as West Ham fall to Sunderland
*He went the distance in a 1-0 loss to Sunderland.
*Highlights after the jump...
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Watch full match: Spector with West Ham vs. Man U
It's been a rough few months for Spector -- riding the bench at West Ham, plus a pretty poor USMNT showing. Still, you have to just feel happy for him after a game like this. I can't help but laugh at the fact that I have posted 4 posts on just him and this game. Don't think I have ever done that with Spector. It was a strong showing even beyond the fact that he scored two goals so (re)watch the entire match after the jump. Enjoy!
1st half
http://www.zshare.net/video/83349690c0538906/
2nd half
http://www.zshare.net/video/8334932335c91122/
Spector scores brace to knock Man U out of Carling Cup
*He scored 2 in a 4-0 win over Manchester United.
*Goals after the jump...
West Ham 1-0 Manchester Utd (Carling Cup)
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West Ham 2-0 Manchester Utd (Carling Cup)
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Sunday, November 21, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Maverick Mal - A Short Biography of Malcolm Allison
Malcolm Allison was born in Dartford, Kent on the 5th September 1927.
'Big Mal' became one of British football's most colourful, charismatic and controversial characters to have ever graced the game, as well as being an incredibly innovative coach of his era.His naturally flamboyant, outspoken and brazen nature made him the maverick character that he indeed was.
He played football for Erith & Belvedere before signing for Charlton Athletic in 1945.
He only played two first-team games for the club before Ted Fenton signed him for West Ham United for a fee of £7,000 in February 1951.
Allison had a poor relationship with Ted Fenton and openly described Fenton as a "useless manager."
The under pressure Fenton eventually agreed that Malcolm Allison should take over the training sessions, where he in turn he acted as mentor to a young Bobby Moore. He introduced all-day training which included weights in the afternoons. In fact he more or less ran the playing side of things, and the fans enjoyed the style of football introduced by Allison.
His playing career was cut short when on 16th September 1957, at the age of 30 Allison was taken ill after a game against Sheffield United. Doctors discovered he was suffering from tuberculosis and he had to have a lung removed. He made well over 200 appearances in his time with the East London club.
Allison took on a coaching role at Cambridge University, and moved into management at non-league Bath City in 1963. His moderate success at Bath City had alerted a number of Football League clubs, and in May 1964 he took up the position of manager of Plymouth Argyle. He soon returned to Bath to sign full-back Tony Book. However, Allison knew the Plymouth board would be reluctant to permit the purchase of a player with no League experience, who was approaching his thirtieth birthday. Allison encouraged Book to doctor his birth certificate, making him appear two years younger.
However all his trophy wining success in English football was crammed into a four year spell at Manchester City in the late 1960's.
Joe Mercer was named City manager in July 1965, but due to poor health Mercer sought a younger, energetic man to be his assistant. He offered the position to Allison, who he knew from coaching courses at Lilleshall.
The Mercer-Allison era is believed to be strongest in Manchester City's history. Renowned for a free-flowing style of football, developed by Allison in their first season City they won the Second Division championship. Two years later (1967-68) they won the First Division league title. The club won the FA Cup (1969), the League Cup (1970) and European Cup-Winners Cup (1971).Allison was also responsible for introducing a red and black away kit because he wanted his side to look like AC Milan.
The following year Allison took over from Mercer as manager of the club, with a team including such greats as Bell, Summerbee and Lee.
City nearly won the League in Allison's first full season but lost key matches after the balance of the side was disrupted by the signing of the flamboyant Rodney Marsh, along with Allison's repeated desire to tinker with the side to little effect.
Although Allison resigned the following year he had left a lasting impression. It was said that during his time at City, "His influence was felt throughout the club and his approach was refreshing. His charisma and style brought excitement to sixties Manchester."
On the 31st March 1973 Allison was appointed manager of Crystal Palace. Despite his arrival the Eagles were relegated, losing five out of their last seven games.
Malcolm immediately instigated a huge stylistic shift both on and off the field, raising Palace's profile with his charismatic media appearances, rebranding the club’s rather homely nickname ‘The Glaziers’ as ‘The Eagles’ and ending the club’s 68-year association with claret and blue kits. Palace’s highly recognisable red and blue striped home kit was introduced, and later, the all-white strip with red and blue sash, changes which still reflect in the character of the club today.
The following season (1974-75)was even more disastrous because of a second successive relegation.
However the 1975-76 was Allison's most successful season at Selhurst Park as he spurred his side onto a fantastic FA Cup run. Brilliant victories against higher league opposition in the shape of Leeds United, Chelsea and Sunderland lead to the club's first ever FA Cup semi-final. Palace lost the semi-final to eventual winners Southampton at Stamford Bridge, with Allison resembling a Chicago gangster in his fur or sheepskin coat, 'lucky' fedora hat, and a cigar never far away.
With the team failing to reach Wembley and win promotion Allison resigned in May 1976.
Despite two successive relegations during his tenure, Palace supporters will always remember the mid 1970s as the era of FA Cup runs and Allison's fedora hat. His period at the helm of 'The Eagles' was not the most successful but during his time in charge the seeds were sown for the success that would follow under Terry Venables.
Much in line with his flamboyant persona, his career was shrouded in numerous controversies. His outspoken nature and 'laddish womanising antics' were ideal for the tabloids but nothing topped Allison's decision in 1976 to invite the famous porn star Fiona Richmond to Palace's Park Langley training ground for a photo shoot with a cameraman from the News of the World.
Richmond went in goal while Palace's slightly bemused but uncomplaining players took penalties at her, and the session ended with the club's goalkeeper Paul Hammond covering the former Playboy model in mud.
But that was just the start of it. Moments later, Richmond appeared in the dressing rooms wearing only a fur coat, which she promptly whipped off before jumping in the players' communal bath, along with Allison.
Then Crystal Palace player, Terry Venables later said of the incident, "I was in the bath with all the players and we heard the whisper that she was coming down the corridor." So far, so good. "We all leapt out and hid, because we knew there'd be photos and that wouldn't go down too well. Malcolm and Fiona dropped everything and got in the bath."Allison received a Football Association disrepute charge after a photograph was published in the News of the World showing him in the Crystal Palace players' bath with the porn star.
Among Big Mal's 'other women' were Roger Moore's ex-wife Dorothy Squires, 1950's movie legend Jane Russell, Profumo scandal hooker Christine Keeler, two Miss UK's! and a Playboy Club employee called Serena Williams!
After Palace, Allison had short managerial stints at Galatasaray in Turkey, and back at Plymouth before Allison returned to Manchester City as manager in 1979. It was an unmitigated disaster and he left for Palace again in 1980.
Stints with a number of other clubs never saw Allison scale those giddy City heights again, apart from a golden period out of the British spotlight where he won the Portuguese league and cup with Sporting Lisbon.
Allison’s final spell in management came at Bristol Rovers in the early 1990's, where he introduced a tactical concept called the 'Whirl' which involved players regularly swapping positions on the field of play.
Allison settled into semi-retirement as a radio pundit on Teeside, despite being 'accidentally' caught on air using an array of expletives!
With his enthusiasm for expansive football, Allison would have made a fine director of coaching at the FA, but his extravagant lifestyle seemed to colour his approach to club management - he couldn't be left alone with a chequebook!
He remains the only English football manager to have published an autobiography that sounds like a psychedelic LP, 'Colours of My Life.'
Sadly his health is in decline. In 2001 it was revealed by his son that Allison was suffering from alcoholism, and he is now in a care home suffering from Alzheimer’s. It's a heart-rending end for one of football's greatest entertainers.
As a football manager, he was moderate, his achievements as a coach far outweighing his titles as a number one. But as a PR guru, he was simply peerless!
Friday 15th October 2010, only four days after writing my short biography on Malcolm Allison -
I am truly saddened to say that today Malcolm Allison passed away, aged 83.
God bless you 'Big Mal' and may your rest in peace.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Betting Scams - Rigging Football Matches
Upton Park, 4th November 1997, Crystal Palace are leading West Ham United 2-1 when in the 65th minute Frank Lampard collects the ball on the edge of the penalty area and drills home a well-earned equaliser.
Seconds later, as the West Ham players celebrate, the ground decends into darkness as, inexplicably, the floodlighs fail.
A quarter of an hour later, two of the floodlights on the North Stand flicker into life before going out once more. With the ground in darkness the referee David Elleray has no option but to abandon the game.
A month later at Selhurst Park, Wimbledon (who were ground sharing with Crystal Palace at the time) were holding Arsenal to a draw, when precisely the same thing occurred. Selhurst Park's floodlights died after just 13 seconds of the second half. On this occasion, engineers managed to restart them just 12 minutes later, only for them to go out again - this time permanently - while the players were warming up to go back on. Referee Dermot Gallagher immediately called the game off.
Again, nobody had the faintest notion of what happened. No one suspected anything suspicious, after all electrical problems did happen, and in the darkness fixing them quickly was almost impossible, so there was no option but to abandon the matches. So the blame was laid squarely at the feet of shoddy maintenance and dodgy wiring.It would be two years before police finally uncovered what really occurred during those games and, when they did, they found a scam so devious that it stood to make the operators millions of pounds whenever they felt like putting it into practice!
The man behind it was Wai Yuen Liu, who Police suspected of having links with the Triad gangs of Hong Kong. Based in London, Liu was a notorious gambler and convicted credit card fraudster, and was the first point of contact for the syndicates in the Far East. With the help of two Malaysian henchmen, Liu set about targeting games that would reap the biggest dividends for the syndicate back home.
After their successes at Upton Park and Selhurst Park, the gang set about rigging the Premiership game between Charlton and Liverpool at The Valley. But first they needed a a contact at the ground.
They eventually approached Roger Firth, a 49 year-old security guard who had been working there for four years. With the promise of £20,000 in cash for his co-operation, the syndicate had now secured guaranteed access to the ground's power supply.
It only took a couple of hours to install a device capable of picking up a radio signal into the circuit controlling the flow of power to the lights. The device could then be used to switch off the lights using a hand-held remote control, similar to that used to open and close garage doors.
Under British betting rules, a match is considered void and all stakes are returned if it does not reach full-time. The crucial difference in betting legislation in the Far East is that if the game is abandoned after half-time, the result at the time of abandonment stands as the final score........and this is how the syndicate planned to make their millions, by stopping games in the second-half, when the scoreline stood at a point which would allow them to make the most possible money.
The syndicate's activities may have remained undetected, but for a loss of nerve on the part of security guard Firth. Firth still feared officials at The Valley might rumble the gang, and things fell apart when he tried to bribe another security guard. It was the man Firth tried to bribe that contacted the police.
As their investigation progressed, the police discovered a working remote control device in the car used by the men at Charlton and a further eight devices in their possession. The idea that 11 matches - each capable at the time of generating up to £30million - could be interfered with, gives you some idea of the kind of money they stood to make.
When the case came to trial in August 1999, Chee Kew Ong, a Malaysian businessman and Ena Hwa Lim, a Malaysian electronics engineer were both sentenced to four years imprisonment, while Wai Yuen Liu received a 30 month sentence. Roger Firth meanwhile, got 18 months.
Although it affected Asian betting, it thankfully left no slur or question mark on English football, and precautions were put in place to ensure it couldn’t happen again. It must be said, the Malaysian syndicate did not at any point make any attempt to subvert players to influence the scores.
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