WEST HAM UNITED v BLACKPOOL
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2010
KICK-OFF: 3PM
FULL COVERAGE ON WHUTV I TEXT COMMENTARY, TABLES AND SCORES
iPHONE APP I TWITTER I FACEBOOK I PODCAST
Introduction
• A minute's silence will be held ahead of Saturday's match in honour of all those who have been lost or suffered during conflict. Sunday, of course, is Remembrance Day.
• West Ham United may not have won in six Barclays Premier League matches but the Hammers are also aware they have lost just twice in the last ten outings in all competitions. While a succession of positive performances have not always translated into points, Avram Grant knows a win could lift his side off the bottom and within range of a cluster of teams.
• This is the first meeting between West Ham and Blackpool since 27 February 1971, when the teams drew 1-1 at Bloomfield Road. The Hammers had won 2-1 at the Boleyn Ground on 31 October 1970 - almost exactly 40 years ago - but lost out 4-0 away to the Seasiders in a FA Cup third-round game the following January.
• Saturday's match will mark the 50th competitive meeting between West Ham and Blackpool. The Hammers have won 17, the Tangerines 20 and there have been 12 draws. In league football, West Ham's record is better in the 40 matches the pair have contested - 16 wins to 14, with ten draws.
• Blackpool have not won in their last 16 visits to the Boleyn Ground in all competitions. In those matches, West Ham have recorded eleven wins and there have been five draws. The Tangerines' last victory in east London came in the shape of a 2-1 success on 14 April 1934.
• West Ham's biggest home win against Blackpool was a 5-1 FA Cup third-round success on 4 January 1958. Blackpool have won just twice in 25 visits to the Boleyn Ground, with a 2-0 Division Two victory on 24 April 1922 representing their biggest win at the home of the Hammers.
Team news
West Ham United
• The Hammers hope to have Carlton Cole fit after the striker was withdrawn during Wednesday's 2-2 draw with West Bromwich Albion with a slight hamstring injury. Victor Obinna, who was only fit enough to start the midweek match on the bench, could also be fit to start.
• Manager Avram Grant is definitely without Thomas Hitzlsperger (thigh) and Jack Collison (knee). Collison is hoping to return around the turn of the year, Hitzlsperger has a February comeback date having had surgery on his torn muscle.
• Mark Noble was ruled out for a month after having his appendix removed a fortnight ago. Tal Ben Haim has been sidelined with a foot injury while Junior Stanislas is battling to overcome a groin problem.
• Robert Green and Scott Parker will both hope to maintain their ever-present records this season in the Barclays Premier League. Green is on a run of 138 consecutive league starts for the club, while Parker made his 100th appearance for the club against West Brom.
• Manuel da Costa has been working hard to overcome an ankle injury that has kept him out of the last two matches. Valon Behrami, meanwhile, has a hip injury.
• Julien Faubert will serve the final match of a three-game suspension for his red card in the reserves at Arsenal last month.
Blackpool
• Manager Ian Holloway is expected to make wholesale changes to his side after resting ten players for the 3-2 midweek Barclays Premier League defeat at Aston Villa. The likes of goalkeeper Matt Gilks and midfielder Charlie Adam should return to the starting XI.
• Former West Ham United striker Marlon Harewood will hope to keep his place after scoring on his return to the side at Villa Park on Wednesday evening.
• Defenders Craig Cathcart and Alex Baptiste (both knee) are facing a race to be fit for Saturday's game. Cathcart missed the midweek trip to Aston Villa after hurting his knee in the 2-1 home win over West Bromwich Albion a fortnight ago. Baptiste, meanwhile, is even less likely to feature after being injured in the 4-0 defeat at Chelsea on 23 September.
• Striker Billy Clarke, who is not a member of Blackpool's 25-man Barclays Premier League squad, has been ruled out for the season with an anterior cruciate knee ligament injury.
Last time out
West Ham United
• West Ham United were pegged back to a 2-2 draw for the second Barclays Premier League fixture in succession. After relinquishing a two-goal advantage at Birmingham City last weekend, the Hammers lost a 2-1 lead against West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday evening. Peter Odemwingie put the Baggies ahead from the penalty spot on 38 minutes, only for a Scott Parker thunderbolt and Frederic Piquionne spot-kick to have the hosts in front by the 48th minute. Spanish defender Pablo Ibanez secured a point at the Boleyn Ground by heading in Chris Brunt's right-wing cross 19 minutes from full time.
10 November 2010
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United 2-2 West Bromwich Albion
West Ham United: Green, Jacobsen, Gabbidon, Upson, Ilunga, Parker, Dyer, Boa Morte (Kovac 54), Barrera (McCarthy 88), Piquionne, Cole (Obinna 76)
Subs not used: Stech, Spector, Reid, Tomkins
Blackpool
• Blackpool made ten changes from their 2-2 home draw with Everton last weekend for their midweek trip to Aston Villa on Wednesday evening. The Tangerines twice fought back from a goal down, only to lose out to a last-minute goal from John Carew. Stewart Downing put Villa ahead before Marlon Harewood equalised on the stroke of half-time. The home side went back in front through Nathan Delfouneso, only for D.J. Campbell to level things up again on 87 minutes.
10 November 2010
Barclays Premier League
Aston Villa 3-2 Blackpool
Blackpool: Kingson, Keinan (Evatt 75), Edwards, Carney, Southern, Sylvestre, Basham, Phillips, Harewood ( Campbell 77), Euell ( Adam 72), Ormerod
Subs not used: Gilks, Eardley, Grandin, Varney
Last meeting
West Ham United and Blackpool last met in a Division One fixture at Bloomfield Road on 27 February 1971. Fred Kemp put the Tangerines ahead inside 26 seconds, only for Geoff Hurst to equalise for the Hammers from the penalty spot with 17 minutes of the 90 remaining. Blackpool would end the season by finishing bottom and being relegated to Division Two, while West Ham would finish 20th - one place and seven points above the relegation zone.
West Ham United: Ferguson, McDowell, Lampard, Bonds, Moore, Taylor, Redknapp, Boyce, Robson, Hurst, Eustace (Greaves)
Blackpool: Ramsbottom, Armfield, Suddaby, Kemp, Hatton, James, Burns, Mowbray, Craven, Coleman (Johnston), Hutchison
Head to head
Last six meetings
27 February 1971 Blackpool 1-1 West Ham United (Division One)
2 January 1971 Blackpool 4-0 West Ham United (FA Cup third round)
31 October 1970 West Ham United 2-1 Blackpool (Division One)
27 December 1966 West Ham United 4-0 Blackpool (Division One)
26 December 1966 Blackpool 1-4 West Ham United (Division One)
19 March 1966 Blackpool 2-1 West Ham United (Division One)
Overall record v Blackpool (all competitions) W 17 D 12 L 20
Ten-year league records
West Ham United
2009/10 Premier League 17th (35 points)
2008/09 Premier League 9th (51 points)
2007/08 Premier League 10th (49 points)
2006/07 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2005/06 Premier League 9th (55 points)
2004/05 Championship 6th (73 points - promoted to Premier League via play-offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th (74 points)
2002/03 Premier League 18th (42 points - relegated to Championship)
2001/02 Premier League 7th (53 points)
2000/01 Premier League 15th (42 points)
Blackpool
2009/10 Championship 6th (70 points, promoted to Premier League via play-offs)
2008/09 Championship 16th (56 points)
2007/08 Championship 19th (54 points)
2006/07 League One 3rd (83 points, promoted to Championship via play-offs)
2005/06 League One 19th (53 points)
2004/05 League One 16th (57 points)
2003/04 League One 14th (59 points)
2002/03 League One 13th (58 points)
2001/02 League One 16th (56 points)
2000/01 League Two 7th (72 points, promoted to League One via play-offs)
Background
West Ham United
• Scott Parker and Freddie Piquionne are West Ham United's leading scorers this season with five goals each. Parker has scored three times in the Barclays Premier League and twice in the Carling Cup, while Piquionne has four in the top-flight and one in the cup.
• Danny Gabbidon's yellow card against Fulham on 2 October was the quickest caution given to a top-flight player this season. It came after just one minute and 25 seconds.
• West Ham have scored more than one goal in two consecutive Barclays Premier League matches for the first time since doing so in beating Wigan Athletic 3-2 on 24 April 2010 and losing by the same scoreline at Fulham a week later. In between, the Hammers went eleven league games without scoring more than one goal.
Blackpool
• Blackpool's leading scorers are Charlie Adam and Marlon Harewood, who have each netted four times in all competitions. Harewood has scored all of his goals in the Barclays Premier League, while Adam has scored three in the league and once in the Carling Cup.
• After manager Ian Holloway made ten changes to his starting XI for the midweek defeat at Aston Villa, no Blackpool player has started all 12 Barclays Premier League matches this season. Charlie Adam and Ian Evatt are the only players to have appeared in all 12, having come on as substitutes at Villa Park.
• On-loan forward Luke Varney is Blackpool's assists leader with four in the Barclays Premier League, while Charlie Adam has three.
• Blackpool have had one player sent-off this season. Ian Evatt received his marching orders in the 6-0 defeat at Arsenal on 21 August.
Referee
• Saturday's referee will be Kevin Friend, who will take charge of West Ham United for the first time in his Barclays Premier League career.
• Friend started refereeing at the age of 13 in his home county of Leicestershire.
• He began officiated in the Leicestershire Senior League and Midland Football Alliance before being promoted to the National List of Assistant Referees in 2000 and the National List of Referees in 2003.
• The 39-year-old was promoted to the Select Group ahead of the 2009/10 season and took charge of his first Premier League fixture on 20 September 2009, with Wolverhampton Wanderers beating Fulham 2-1.
• The official last refereed Blackpool in their 1-1 Championship draw with Preston North End on 30 November 2009. Friend also took charge of the 2009 FA Vase Cup Final at Wembley on 10 May between Whitley Bay and Glossop North End with Whitley Bay winning 2-0.
• This season Friend has referee nine games this season including four Premier League matches, four Championship matches and one League Cup tie.
• Friend will be assisted by Patrick Keane and Peter Kirkup. Fourth official James Linington took charge of the Hammers' 1-0 Carling Cup second-round victory over Oxford United on 24 August 2010
Old boys
• Blackpool forward Marlon Harewood spent nearly four years with West Ham United between November 2003 and July 2007. The 31-year-old made 170 appearances in all competitions for the Hammers, scoring 56 goals.
• Among the other players who have represented both clubs are L.Armeson (guest player), Louis Cardwell (guest player), George Dick, Walter Miller, Adam Nowland, Les Sealey, Don Travis and Bob Wyllie.
Next up
• West Ham United travel to Anfield to face Liverpool on Saturday 20 November, with kick-off at 5.30pm.
• Blackpool host Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday 20 November, with kick-off at 3pm.
Travel information
• For directions to the Boleyn Ground, click here.
General information
• For ticket information, click here.
• The weather forecast for Saturday is for a sunny day with maximum daytime temperatures of around 11C (52F).