FA Cup fifth round
West Ham United v Middlesbrough
Boleyn Ground
Saturday 14 February
3pm
Referee: Peter Walton
WHUTV - FULL COMMENTARY, PRE-MATCH INTERVIEWS AND MANAGER'S PRESS CONFERENCE
Big match preview
• West Ham United welcome Gareth Southgate's Middlesbrough for today's FA Cup fifth-round tie.
• The FA Cup sixth round will be played on the weekend of 7/8 March with the draw taking place at FA headquarters on Sunday evening after the fixture between Derby County and Manchester United. It will be broadcast live on ITV.
• The club have won through to the last-16 for the first time since the 2005/06 season, when they went all the way to the final before losing to Liverpool on penalties following a 3-3 draw at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.
• The Hammers knocked out Barnsley 3-0 at home in the third round with goals from Herita Ilunga - his first for the club - a Mark Noble penalty and Carlton Cole. West Ham then won 2-0 at Hartlepool United in the fourth round, with the goals coming courtesy of Valon Behrami and another Noble penalty.
• Saturday's fixture is a rematch of the 2005/06 FA Cup semi-final between the two sides at Villa Park. That day, 23 April 2006, Marlon Harewood's 78th-minute goal secured a 1-0 win for Alan Pardew's West Ham United.
• West Ham's only survivor from that game to feature today is James Collins. Dean Ashton and Daniel Gabbidon, who both started the semi-final, are both working their way back to fitness. For Middlesbrough, former England defender Southgate is now the man in charge at the Riverside Stadium.
• Goalkeeper Brad Jones - who replaced the injured Mark Schwarzer midway through the semi-final - defenders Andrew Taylor and Chris Riggott and midfielder Stewart Downing all started at Villa Park and are still with the club, although Riggott is sidelined by injury. Midfielder Matthew Bates, an unused substitute in April 2006, is also still a member of the Boro squad.
• Saturday's match is the fourth time West Ham United have been drawn to face Middlesbrough in the FA Cup. Aside from the 2006 semi-final, West Ham overcame Boro 2-1 in a second round replay in February 1912 with goals from Herbert Ashton and Fred Harrison.
• Middlesbrough gained their revenge by securing a 2-1 third round victory at Ayresome Park on 3 January 1970. West Ham's goal that day was scored by Alan Stephenson.
• Gianfranco Zola and Middlesbrough boss Southgate faced one another as players in the 2000 FA Cup final. Zola's Chelsea beat Southgate's Aston Villa 2-0 in the last final to be contested at the old Wembley Stadium.
• West Ham United striker Carlton Cole made his full England debut on Wednesday evening, appearing as a 75th-minute substitute for Fabio Capello's side in the 2-0 friendly defeat by Spain in Seville. Fellow Hammers Robert Green and Matthew Upson earned their second and 13th caps respectively as half-time substitutes at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium.
• A host of other West Ham players were in international action in midweek. Australia captain Lucas Neill led the Socceroos to a hard-fought 2010 FIFA World Cup Asia qualifying Round 4 group 0-0 draw with Japan in Yokohama. The draw kept Pim Verbeek's side three points clear of the Japanese at the top of their group midway through their eight-match campaign.
• Jack Collison played the first half of Wales' 1-0 friendly defeat by Poland in Vila Real, Portugal, earning his fourth cap for John Toshack's side.
• Midfielder Radoslav Kovac - on loan from Spartak Moscow until the end of the season - earned his 29th cap for Czech Republic in their goalless friendly draw with Morocco in Casablanca.
• Striker Zavon Hines, 20, was called into the Jamaica squad for Wednesday evening's goalless friendly draw with Nigeria at Millwall's New Den on Wednesday, but did not make it into John Barnes' matchday 18 on the night.
• Teenager Jordan Spence, who is on loan at Leyton Orient, completed a full 90 minutes for England's Under-19 side in their 3-0 friendly defeat by Spain at AFC Bournemouth's Dean Court on Tuesday evening.
Referee
• Saturday's referee is Peter Walton.
• Walton, 49, has been refereeing since 1986. He was appointed to the Football League list as an assistant referee in 1993 before progressing to the Premier League a year later and the FIFA list in 1996.
• Walton became a Football League referee in 1998 before joining the Select List in 2003.
• Walton was an assistant referee at the 1996 FA Cup final between Manchester United and Liverpool and for the Euro 96 fixture between Czech Republic and Germany at Old Trafford.
• Walton has taken control of 25 matches in all competitions this season, including the FA Community Shield between Manchester United and Portsmouth, West Ham's 1-0 Carling Cup third-round defeat at Watford and their Premier League fixtures at Manchester United and Liverpool.
• In those 25 matches, Walton has issued 60 yellow cards and sent-off three players at an average of 2.52 cards per game.
Last time out
Sunday 8 February 2009
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United 0-1 Manchester United
West Ham United: Green, Neill, Collins, Upson, Ilunga, Behrami (Tristan 87), Parker, Noble (Savio 77), Collison, Cole, Di Michele
Subs not used: Lastuvka, Boa Morte, Kovac, Spector, Sears
Booked: Neill
Goals: None
Saturday 8 February 2009
Barclays Premier League
Manchester City 1-0 Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough: Jones, Wheater, Riggott (Hoyte 68), Huth, Pogatetz, Adam Johnson (Tuncay 74), Bates, Digard (O'Neil 60), Downing, Alves, King
Subs not used Turnbull, Emnes, Shawky, Arca
Booked: O'Neil
Goals: None
West Ham United
• West Ham United go into Saturday's match having lost just one of their last nine matches in all competitions. Last Sunday's defeat by Manchester United ended a run of six wins and two draws in the Premier League and FA Cup.
• West Ham United's biggest home win over Middlesbrough came in the shape of a 4-0 success at the Boleyn Ground on 16 May 1999. Trevor Sinclair scored twice, while Marc Keller and Frank Lampard added a goal apiece.
• West Ham have won the FA Cup three times - in 1964, 1975 and 1980 - and been runners-up on two occasions - in 1923 and 2006.
• Midfielder Scott Parker was named E.ON Player of the Round following his man-of-the-match performance in West Ham United's FA Cup fourth round win at Hartlepool United.
• Lucas Neill is available to face Boro but will miss the trip to Bolton Wanderers on Saturday week after picking up his fifth caution of the season against Manchester United.
• Valon Behrami is one yellow card away from a one-match suspension, although that threat will be lifted after the Bolton fixture.
Middlesbrough
• Middlesbrough go into Saturday's game on a run of 13 games without a victory in the Premier League. However, Boro have beaten non-league Barrow (2-1 with both goals from Afonso Alves) and Championship leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers (2-1 with goals from Alves and Marvin Emnes) to reach the FA Cup fifth round.
• Middlesbrough have never won the FA Cup. However, they were runners-up in 1997, when Gianfranco Zola and Steve Clarke were part of the Chelsea side that beat them 2-0 at Wembley Stadium.
Team news
• January transfer window signing Savio is pushing for his first start in a West Ham United shirt.
• Czech Republic international Radoslav Kovac, 29, who has arrived at the Boleyn Ground from Russian side Spartak Moscow on loan until the end of the season with a view to a permanent move, could make his West Ham debut.
• Dean Ashton (ankle), Danny Gabbidon (stomach) and Kieron Dyer (calf) are not under consideration. Ashton underwent successful ankle surgery on his left ankle this week to aid his rehab while Dyer is thought to be three or four weeks away from a return. Gabbidon continues to make progress on his long-term problem.
• England Under-19 James Tomkins is continuing his recovery from a minor hamstring injury and could be available for selection.
• Switzerland midfielder Valon Behrami and Wales defender James Collins should be fit after missing their respective midweek international matches.
• Gareth Southgate has lost central defender Chris Riggott to a knee ligament injury suffered in last weekend's 1-0 Premier League defeat at Manchester City. Former West Ham forward Jeremie Aliadiere and defender Andrew Taylor are both sidelined with ankle problems.
• Youngster Seb Hines has joined League One side Oldham Athletic on loan this week.
Last meeting
• The teams met at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday 29 October 2008, when the two sides drew 1-1. Hayden Mullins gave West Ham United a first half lead before Mido's late free-kick earned Middlesbrough a point
• The lineups were:
Middlesbrough: Turnbull, Wheater (Hoyte 46), Riggott, Pogatetz, Taylor, Aliadiere, O'Neil, Digard (Arca 56), Downing, Sanli, Alves (Mido 67)
Subs not used: Jones, Emnes, Adam Johnson, Grounds
Goal: Mido 83
West Ham United: Green, Neill, Collins, Upson, Ilunga, Faubert, Collison, Mullins, Boa Morte (Bowyer 84), Bellamy, Sears (Etherington 73)
Subs not used: Walker, Lopez, Tomkins, Di Michele, Tristan
Goal: Mullins 21
Attendance: 25,164
Old boys
• Middlesbrough's French striker Jeremie Aliadiere made eight league and cup appearances on loan for West Ham United from Arsenal between August 2005 and January 2006. The Rambouillet-born player has scored eight goals in 51 games since joining Boro from the Gunners for £2m in June 2007.
• Among the other players who have represented both clubs are Brian Deane, James Dow, Paul Ince, Frank Piercy, Luke 'Lou' Raisbeck, George 'Geordie' Reid, Robbie Stockdale and Robert Young.
Head to head
Last six meetings (Premier League unless stated)
Premier League, 1 November 2008 - Middlesbrough 1-1 West Ham United, Premier League, 22 December 2007 - Middlesbrough 1-2 West Ham United
Premier League, 15 September 2007 - West Ham United 3-0 Middlesbrough Premier League, 31 March 2007 - West Ham United 2-0 Middlesbrough Premier League, 11 November 2006 - Middlesbrough 1-0 West Ham United FA Cup semi-final, 23 April 2006 - Middlesbrough 0-1 West Ham United
Overall record v Middlesbrough (all competitions) W 24 D 23 L 12
Next up
• West Ham United will travel to Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League on Saturday 21 February, kick-off 3pm
• Middlesbrough will host Wigan Athletic in the Premier League next Saturday, 21 February, kick-off 3pm
General information
• For ticket information, click here
• The London Underground Hammersmith and City line is suspended between Edgware Road and Barking. The Metropolitan line is suspended between Baker Street and Aldgate. Supporters should use the Circle and District lines as an alternative route to the Boleyn Ground. The District line is suspended between Upminster and Dagenham East. A rail replacement service will operate. For more details, visit www.thetube.com
• Minor timetable changes will affect the c2c services leaving Fenchurch Street, with trains leaving London two minutes later than advertised.
• Sunday's weather forecast is for a sunny day with a maximum daytime temperature of 5C.