Tc: Keep The Tradition

Former Upton Park favourite Tony Cottee has urged the West Ham Board not to look abroad in the search for a successor to Harry Redknapp.

He also says that if he was called upon, he would welcome the chance to serve the club again.

And he praises Harry Redknapp for restoring a youth policy which had regrettably declined since the days of his early career at the club alongside the likes of Alan Dickens and Steve Potts.

Talking of a replacement for Harry, he says: "I would like to think the club will not look abroad, as I would not like to see a foreign coach appointed.

"There are enough talented English or Scottish managers around to bring success to West Ham but whether it is kept in the family or not, we will have to wait and see."

Indeed Tony goes a stage further than suggesting the manager should be from these shores, by stressing that he feels the right man should already have Upton Park connections.

He says of the possibility of Alan Curbishley coming: "It is difficult to say what will happen there, it depends how Alan feels about it and whether he thinks he has taken Charlton as far as he can.

"Or he may feel that at Charlton, he is in a position to push on for a European place, like Ipswich have done this season.

"And whether he is available or not remains to be seen; there are an awful lot of things to slot into place.

"But I feel whoever gets the job has to have some form of connection with the club in order to maintain the tradition and style the West Ham fans have become used to.

"Alan Curbishley certainly fits into that category."

He also suggests that Terry Venables could be a candidate, adding: "He is obviously established in the game, a Dagenham boy, and he could be a big success at the club.

"But I would be hesitant to say that someone from outside should come in - the one and only time the club have done it, with Lou Macari, he only lasted six months.

"I hope the stability at the club remains because, after all, we have only had eight managers in 100 years.

"I really hope the club don't go on to appoint manager after manager as happens elsewhere, but build on the foundations laid and take the club on to another level.

"We all want West Ham challenging for league titles if possible and certainly to reach more cup finals than we have in the last 20 years."

In fact, it is 21 years to the day since a Trevor Brooking header gave West Ham a 1-0 victory over Arsenal in the FA Cup final, though most people agree with Harry Redknapp's recent assertion that the current squad is the best West Ham squad since those days.

Whether TC gets the chance to work with the current crop remains to be seen; he is only too aware that a short stint as Barnet boss recently does not necessarily qualify him for the Upton Park hot-seat.

He says: "We will have to wait and see what happens, as it is early days, and I am going away for a break to give me time to consider my future after leaving Millwall last weekend.

"We will see what develops when I get back, but I would always help the club in any way, shape or form.

"I'm sure West Ham will want to get an appointment in as soon as possible, so that they can plan and build for next season, though I don't think they will rush into anything and I can't see anything happening before the Middlesbrough game.

"I am very much a West Ham supporter and lucky enough to have played for the club. I'm very interested in helping out if the opportunity arose."

But Tony is full of praise for Harry Redknapp and adds: "There are more positives than negatives when you look back at his seven years in charge; the way he has revamped the youth system is a great example of that and he deserves a lot of credit for it.

"There was quite a barren gap after the likes of myself and Alan Dickens, but all of a sudden, three or four have through in the last couple of years, so the future appears good for the club.

"And he has transformed a team that was fighting relegation every season into one that has had three successful campaigns before this pretty average one.

"I think everyone will miss Harry, he is always coming up with some cracking stuff in interviews and it is a shame that things have worked out the way they have.

"If he feels it is in the best interests of the club though, it was probably the right thing for him to do."

Ironically, the last time that Tony saw his old boss was at a reserve game between West Ham and Charlton earlier in the season.

He remembers he was as friendly as ever and asked how things were going, and whenever we spoke on the phone or in the flesh, it was always good to talk to him."

But Tony reckons that the rest may do him good and says: "I know Harry took defeat home with him - it is difficult not to - and maybe he was finding it hard to switch off from football."