BARNSLEY v WEST HAM UNITED
npower CHAMPIONSHIP
FRIDAY 5 APRIL 2012
KICK-OFF: 5:15 PM
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
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Introduction
• West Ham United go into Good Friday's match at Barnsley looking to set a new club record of 12 away wins in a season having equalled the record in their last away game at Peterborough.
• The Hammers will be looking to bounce back from defeat to Reading in their last game; their first at home since the beginning of December. The result sees West Ham sitting in third place in the npower Championship.
• Barnsley entertain the Hammers having lost 1-0 away to Ipswich Town on Saturday afternoon. It was the Tykes' fifth loss in their last six games and leaves them in 18th place in the npower championship - just four places above the relegation zone.
• The visit to Barnsley will be Ricardo Vaz Te's first visit back to Oakwell since he moved to the Hammers in January.
• The match will be shown live on BBC One. Coverage starts at 5:00pm.
Team News
West Ham United
• West Ham United could be without the services of Mark Noble, who came off at half-time against Reading, and Joey O'Brien who didn't make the game.
• A trio of players could make their return for the Hammers after a spell on the sidelines. Papa Bouba Diop, Guy Demel and Winston Reid all played in a behind closed doors match with QPR and could feature on Friday.
Barnsley
• Barnsley will be unable to call upon Frank Nouble as he is on loan from West Ham United.
• Barnsley have no new injury concerns but are still without seven first team players who have long-term injuries.
• Midfielder Nathan Doyle sits out the second game of his three match ban and goalkeeper David Button will continue in the absence of Luke Steele out with a stomach problem.
Last Time Out
Saturday 31 March 2012
npower Championship
West Ham United 2-4 Reading
West Ham United: Green, McCartney, Tomkins, Faye, Faubert, Nolan, Taylor (Baldock 60), Noble (Collins 46), O'Neil, Cole (Maynard 72), Vaz Te
Subs not used: Lansbury, Carew
Goals: Cole (8), Vaz Te (77)
Saturday 31 March 2012
npower Championship
Ipswich Town 1-0 Barnsley
Barnsley: Button, Foster, Wiseman, McNulty, Golbourne, Dawson, Done (Higginbotham 37), Smith (O'Brien 78), Cotterill, Davies, Gray (Nouble 66)
Subs not used: Lidakevicius, Collins
Last six meetings
(Championship unless stated)
17 December 2011 - West Ham United 1-0 Barnsley
8 January 2011 - West Ham United 2-0 Barnsley (FA Cup third round)
3 January 2009 - West Ham United 3-0 Barnsley (FA Cup third round)
10 January 1998 - West Ham United 6-0 Barnsley
9 August 1997 - Barnsley 1-2 West Ham United
6 February 1993 - West Ham United 1-1 Barnsley
Overall record v Barnsley (all competitions): W 31, D 14, L 9
Ten Year Records
West Ham United
2010/11 Premier League 20th (relegated to Championship)
2009/10 Premier League 17th
2008/09 Premier League 9th
2007/08 Premier League 10th
2006/07 Premier League 15th
2005/06 Premier League 9th
2004/05 Championship 6th (promoted to Premier League via Play-Offs)
2003/04 Division One 4th
2002/03 Premier League 18th (relegated to Championship)
2001/02 Premier League 7th
Barnsley
2010/11 Championship, 17th
2009/10 Championship, 18th
2008/09 Championship, 20th
2007/08 Championship, 18th
2006/07 Championship, 20th
2005/06 League One, 5th (promoted via Play-Offs)
2004/05 League One, 13th
2003/04 Division Two, 12th
2002/03 Division Two, 19th
2001/02 Division One, 23rd (relegated to Division Two)
Referee
• Friday evening's referee will be Mr. Tony Bates.
• Bates is the longest-serving referee in the Football League. Aged 50, he has been officiating in the Football League since being appointed as an assistant referee as long ago as 1993, having begun his career a decade earlier at junior level.
• Two years later, he took the flag in the Charity Shield before doing the same job as England hosted the UEFA European Championship in 1996, running the line in the group-stage meeting between eventual finalists Germany and Czech Republic. The same year, he also ran the line at the FA Cup final. Bates completed a fine year by being appointed to the Football League List of referees for the 1996/97 season.
• More recently, during a Championship fixture between Coventry City and Nottingham Forest in February 2010, an injury to Bates saw him replaced by assistant Amy Fearn, who subsequently became the first female to referee a Football League match.
• Bates officiated his first West Ham United match when he took charge of the 1-0 home npower Championship win over Peterborough United on 24 September 2011. He Also took charge of the Hammers 2-1 home win over Nottingham Forest in January 2012.
• Away from football, Bates is a big speedway fan.
• Bates will be assisted by Christopher Kavanagh and Tony Peart. The fourth official will be Gary Sutton.
Us and Them
• The following players have worn the colours of both West Ham United and Barnsley - Anton Otulakowski, Joseph Jackson, Kyel Reid and Ricardo Vaz Te.
• West Ham have won the last five meetings of the sides, and have not conceded in the last four
• West Ham United's first-ever away Football League fixture saw the Hammers travel to Barnsley on 1 September 1919. The Division Two fixture ended in a 7-0 victory for the Tykes in front of a 6,000-strong crowd at Oakwell.
• Sam Allardyce has never lost to Barnsley in five matches as a manager. During his time at Bolton Wanderers, Big Sam recorded two wins and a draw in Division One, including a Division One 'double' in 2000/01. He also guided Newcastle United to a 2-0 Carling Cup victory over the Tykes in August 2007 and he won with West Ham back in December.
• Ten players have made their West Ham United debuts against Barnsley - Horace Biggin and Tommy Green (both 1 September 1919), George Kay (8 September 1919), Harry Hooper (February 1951), Ray Stewart (September 1979), Jimmy Quinn (January 1990), Peter Butler and Mark Robson (both August 1992), Eyal Berkovic and David Terrier (both August 1997).
Up next
West Ham United will play host to Birmingham City on Monday afternoon with kick off set for 5:20pm. Tickets will be available on the door with kids available for just £1. To buy a ticket and for more information click here. Barnsley will travel to Blackpool on the same day kicking off at 3pm.
General Information
Tickets for the game at Oakwell can be bought on the day from the North Stand turnstiles from 3.45pm [information correct at time of writing]. The weather for Barnsley on Friday evening is chilly at 9C with a high chance of rain.