Tag Archives: west ham united

Alan Pardew’s Moments of Madness

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Piers Barber looks back at five moments of Alan Pardew madness…

Alan Pardew has won both the Premier League Manager of the Season and LMA Manager of the Year awards, has twice led teams to Premier League promotion and is surpassed only by Arsene Wenger as the longest serving manager in the Premier League.

Yet the current Newcastle United boss still seems determined to prove that he has a few wires loose, with his behaviour on the touchline repeatedly proving irresponsible, and often nasty. A succession of crazy moments reached a bizarre culmination on Saturday, when he was sent to the stands for headbutting Hull City’s David Meyler.

Pardew has already been fined £100,000 for his actions, and can expect more punishment in the coming days from the FA. His case is unlikely to be helped by the fact he has considerable previous in the field of managerial indiscretions. Here are five of his worst moments of madness that are coming increasingly close to defining his managerial career. Continue reading →

Ilan – West Ham’s Brazilian moon landing

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Tom Victor looks back at an arrival that made history at The Boleyn Ground…

It might not have the gravity of the moon landing or the Kennedy assassination, but I remember exactly where I was when I learned that West Ham were set to sign Ilan.

I was with a group of friends at the Old Arcade pub in Cardiff, watching the first ever Sky 3D game, consoling my friend Rob, an Arsenal supporter, after his team was soundly beaten by Manchester United in one of those matches you knew was a big game because Sir Alex Ferguson had recalled Park Ji-Sung.

While reflecting on one of many blows to Arsenal’s title challenge that year, the TV in the background brought news of West Ham signing an unknown Brazilian called Ilan, deemed surplus to requirements at Saint-Étienne. Compared to Arsenal’s, ahem, arsenal up front – van Persie, Eduardo, a still-competent Andrey Arshavin – West Ham’s January transfer window business was an example of throwing a load of shit at a wall and hoping some of it stuck. Continue reading →

Yossi Benayoun – The Diamond from Dimona

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Yossi Benayoun has enjoyed an illustrious international career, spanning 90 caps and 24 goals.

False Nine editors James Dutton and Hugo Greenhalgh look back at the career of Israeli legend, Yossi Benayoun – a talent often underestimated, with a backstory often overlooked…

Yossi Benayoun, ‘the Diamond from Dimona’ as he is affectionately known as in his native Israel, or ‘Yossi Benyanoon’ to David Pleat, has been plying his trade in English football for the past seven and a half years. He can be easily discarded as a nomadic football journeyman, but that would not do justice to a backstory often overlooked, a talent often underestimated and under-appreciated. Continue reading →