OK, I’ve had enough.
Some of the newspaper articles that I’ve had the utter misfortune of reading over the weekend have sufficently stirred me into enough of a frenzy to put hair product on my face by mistake – the other contributing factor to that was drawing Millwall in the cup. But that was more out of excitement.
I may as well cut to the proverbial chase with this one, why on earth to we have to put up with completely fabircated articles about our club? I just don’t get why major newspapers and media outlets should be allowed to publish stories that clearly are not true, that are clearly direct from the twisted mind of a little old man fantasising about the most outrageous scenarios that would see his arch rivals, West Ham, plunged into a pit of eternal demise. Is there no regualation on this kind of sensationalist tripe?
Before some people retort and argue I’m simply being sensationlist, I’m not. I’m just genuinely fed up with what we, the paying customer, have to put up with when we buy a newspaper.
“We have to sell everyone!”
The article that I read over the weekend, from the Mirror I think, outlined under no uncertain terms that:
- Zola is about to quit.
- And that we have to sell all of Green, Upson, Parker, Cole and even Noble. Plus a few more chucked in for added dramatic effect. They even, quite ingeniously I must say, placed photos of each of the players with a target and crosshairs in the corner, with a number indicating who would go in what order. Really clever stuff, and not at all whipped together in 5mins before realising they had no actual news minutes before publishing deadline. To sum it all up, Cole was suggested as being the first out the door…because he is clearly our most valuable player.
I’m assuming that the newspaper is called The Mirror because the standard of news reflects the education of the journalists who come up with the rubbish? Rather than it actually reflecting what is going on in the world?
“We don’t have to sell anyone”
The cheek, sheer audacity and general shoddyness of this report is that on the 10/8/2009 (so a week ago), the Official West Ham site released this statement from Scott Duxburry:
“The club’s position today remains the same as it was last week or as it was in January. There is no question of Straumur forcing us to sell anyone – in fact we are actively looking for new players.
“The papers are unsurprisingly full of speculation at this time of year but the situation is clear. The only way a player would be allowed to leave is if Gianfranco thinks it is in the best interests of the squad as a whole and it is right for the club. It is as simple as that
This statement was then backed up by Non-Executive Chairman Andrew Bernhardt with the following:
“As I said earlier in the summer, the club is on a sound financial footing and Straumur creditor meetings have no bearing on the operations of West Ham United. This remains unchanged.
“We fully support Scott and Gianfranco and endorse their continued efforts in strengthening the squad as quickly as possible, with a new striker their top priority. We are looking forward to a great season.”
In conclusion, it’s bo**ocks
Now I don’t make a habit of swearing, but this whole episode has really got to me.
I mean, even the Daily Fail are above this and commented today how Stranmaur themselves are calling this garbage ‘nonesense’
I really just want to conclude by saying that I feel there should be far more regulation of what the newspapers like the Mirror are allowed to produce, they simply should not be allowed to get away with it.
IRONS
Sam
Hello Process,
we should by rights sue them everytime to deter them, but do we have the time and energy to waste on them?
Also, are you providing the same live stream service as you did last year?
I missed it very much on Saturday.
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I am looking into a couple of different ways to do it at the moment – it was causing some people to raise questions about copyright I’m afraid. Don’t worry, I will be in touch ASAP!
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Good article Sam there has been some real rubbish in the papers about our beloved club. Most of it re hashed from weeks ago. I think we need a couple of strikers and some cover for Herita but apart from that we are on a fairly sound footing. We have seen the dangers of over extending ourselves and proved that money does not always buy instant success. Zola, if left to get on with it will build a talented team of players who want to play for him and be part of the squad for the right reasons.COYI.
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It turns out that this twisted old hack (Paul Smith) who wrote that particular piece of drivel is indeed a Sheff Utd supporter and as this load of old b*llocks was completely untrue, you would’ve thought that the editors at The Mirror would’ve taken the moral stance and not published it as I think that West Ham should now start proceedings against The Mirror and Paul Smith for liable as these sort of lies could be really damaging especially as our babysitting owners are trying to sell the club.
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Didn’t know that as it goes – very interesting though.
You’d think getting £25m off us would be enough wouldn’t you?!
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Hi Sam,i posted yesterday on W.H.T.I.D,that West Ham should threaten to sue those scum rags that spout LIES about them.
Had we done that at the start of tevezgate i’m sure we would have won the case v blunts,as im sure the LIES influenced public oppinion and Griffiths crazy finding.
Someone suggested going to the press complaints commission with a petition,something MUST be done!as there is a very damaging agenda going on.
.-= Bernie Bonds´s last blog ..‘Dancing’ Reveals Biggest Cast Ever =-.
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Sam totally agree with you week in week out the mirror in particular keeps put their foot in to unsettle the club and loyal supporters i am sure GZ &SC agree as per the statement from the CEO and Andrew Bernhardt on behalf of CE holdings. Lets prove them wrong and let them put their foot into the IRONS of THE HAMMERS and show the media we are not just there for them to keep putting the boot in. I dont see them doing this with the other Premier clubs. Probably the best thing to do is to ignore this tittletattle of this so called newspaper and ride out the storm and just get on with rebuilding the club with quality players and play in the way the hammers do as GZ has shown over the past few months he has been in charge.
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I totally agree Sam. We are being victimised by some so called sports journalists mainly in the mirror and NOTW. This is not only unsettling for our squad of players but cannot encourage any new players considering to join us.
So there is malice behind each and every story of our impending financial crisis.We should be able to sue the papers involved. I’m sure McCabe would. Or at least get a retraction when the stories are rebuffed by the board.
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you took the words right out of my mouth.Ive been ranting all weekend to my mates about the rubbish thats printed about our club.the mirror used to be pro west ham but some thing has changed there and now they just make up a load of rubbish to fill the sheets.coyi
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Well done Sam,
You’ve placed the proper perspective on the situation.
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Good point Sam but to be fair it isn’t just us…. quick straw poll of mates who support various teams shows we all feel the same.
It’s a shame but sports journalism counts for absolutely nothing anymore… it’s another example of opinion being more important than fact. The papers are no different now to many of the biased fan blogs who can do nothing more than shout their ‘controversial’ opinion. I’d love to see something done about it.
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It’s amazing how much of this I read from the States. I can’t imagine having to see it in every newspaper stand walking down the street.
.-= Wes´s last blog .. =-.
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Wasn’t Harris that wrote the Mirror article was it? Well known Spuds fan and well known sh*te journalist so anything he writes should be taken with a pinch of salt.
It is a problem though but at least Zola has come and today and reiterated that we do not need to sell (all though the potential loss of Collins is a shame on reflection its good business and we do have a few good Defenders)but who would you rather sell? collins or Upson? I know who I would choose to keep and it does force the option a bit in the fact that we would have to keep Mattie (fingers crossed) if Collins goes.
Oh and if anyone official is watching do not do a deal with the greedy Aussie, we don’t need him.
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ooops should have read properly above about it being a blunts fan writing the BS (but I still think Harris is a twonk)
=-.
.-= @stevecs´s last blog ..stevecs: @virginmedia thanks very much for the quick response and the help much appreciated
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A lot of football writing on the internet proves that you don’t have to cast pointless transfer speculation to interest readers. This is the dark side of the transfer window, and with the Premier League under way, you’d think these writers would have something real to write about.
.-= Jack Burston´s last blog ..Premier League Shorthand =-.
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Make you right re the papers Sam. On a lighter note the “respect” campaign took an early season set back at the weekend. Catch Warnocks antics after the disallowed goal and to then lose the game in the 89th minute. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer bloke !!!!!
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I hope it is all bull but you have to worry a bit when Upson comes out and says he might have to be sold because of the financial situation at the club. That isn’t helpful from the club captain is it? Then Zola uses the word “hope” when talking about retaining Upson. We are being run by an Asset Management Group whose sole purpose is to recover the £120 million of debt owed to the creditors – they will do they in which ever way they think guarantees the best return sadly. If nobody is prepared to match the club’s valuation as it stands, it might make sense to asset strip. The present squad is worth in the region of £80m. Sell the brand / ground for £20m and they have recovered the £100m that West Ham show as on the books. It is an ugly thought but we would not be the first “company” stripped down in this way.
.-= Hammersfan´s last blog ..How To Finance £20m of Purchases WITHOUT Selling Anybody. =-.
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[...] by WP Greet BoxSam Heseltine, aka WestHamProcess, takes on the tabloid sensationalists, and wins: The article that I read over the weekend, from the Mirror I think, outlined under no uncertain [...]
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thanks for writing this article. 100% what i’m feeling now.
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Stopped reading newspapers 18 years ago (when I was 19) because it was just as apparent then as it is now that only 10% of the articles written in them are true and even those have to be written usually with a slant on them. Vote with your feet guys – if you want to read fiction buy a Stephen King novel, at least you know it’s not real, but it will feel more real than anything you read in a newspaper when you’ve put it down.
COYI Kippax Hammer (who is still trying to get over seeing someone with a Spud shirt on smiling on sunday walking through my neighbouring Yorkshire town Garforth – I will be wearing Claret and Blue in his local pub this Sunday!)
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all the papers saying we have to sell players should be told every day on the the offical west ham web page that this is not true and it may end all this doom and gloom all the time. CB holdings are waiting for the right price to sell the club and they are not going to do that by selling our best players so we slip down a divison and make west ham a poor buy, the only thing i do what from the next owner to put big money into the club and not one who gives zola a amount to spend in the first transfer window and once its gone its back to sell to buy if you look at the players we have had let go in the last 10 years we would be in the top four by now and won cups and leagues. look at any england team and more than half the team once played for west ham.
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These rumours might be spread for a number of reasons, to unsettle players, to put off potential new signings, to devalue the club to the advantage of a prospective buyer, to create news in the ‘silly season’ when none exists, or for no reason other than pure mischive. We can do no more than ignore the tripe and refuse to buy into it.
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I agree, it really spoilt the win for me to hear this sh*te the next day. The club should sue and when successful ( which they would be ) insist on a full retraction and apology by the papers.
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[...] the need for this added security, we don’t find ourselves in the situation that The Mirror quite disgracefully reported not so long ago that every single one of our ‘name’ players would be sold in the [...]
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