Hammers unveil pre-season plans
The eager wait to find out our pre-season plans has finally ended in the last few days, as trips to Germany and Iceland have been confirmed. Slaven Bilic will take his squad to Germany for this year’s unusual edition of The Betway Cup where we will face German side Werder Bremen in a two legged, with the first leg on the 28th July and the second leg on the 29th July. The games will take place in The German towns of Schneverdingen and Lohne It is not the first time we have faced the Bundesliga side in the pre-season competition, and the former Europa League runners up edged us out at Upton Park at the start of the 2015/16 campaign. From Germany, the squad will then travel to remote Iceland where Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City will be the opponents. The glamorous friendly will take place in The National Stadium, situated in The Icelandic capital of Reykjavik on August 4th. As well as it being the first opportunity for new signing Pablo Zabaleta to face his former club, the prestigious fixture will also be the first time that two English domestic sides have met in Iceland. The rest of the first team’s pre-season agenda is not yet known, however many West Ham fans will be eagerly awaiting the news of who we will be playing in our tour of Austria before we head to Deutschland.
2017/18 Premier League fixtures announced
The fixtures for The 2017/18 Premier League fixtures were announced last week as Hammers fans up and down the land grimaced at the sight of the first fixture. We will make the daunting trip to Old Trafford to face Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United on the weekend of the 12th August to kick of the campaign, with a season-ending home tie against The Toffees scheduled for Sunday 13th May 2018. However, The London Stadium will have to wait until September to see its first Footballing action of the season, due to The World Athletics Championship being held at the arena. So how will the 2017/18 season pan out? One can only speculate, but one thing is for sure, we are entering one of the most unpredictable campaigns in our history as we prepare for our second season at our new home.
Transfer gossip: Hammers eye Premier League duo
It has been rumoured in the last few days by Sky Sports News HQ that Slaven Bilic is readying a loan approach for Manchester City keeper Joe Hart. The England number one had been a regular at The Etihad up until the start of last season, but when Pep Guardiola arrived the Spaniard told him that he wasn’t in his future plans at the club. As a result, Hart spent the majority of last season on loan at Italian side Torino, upon returning to Manchester, the 30 year-old was reportedly told that he would be going out on loan once again with The London Stadium being a likely destination. So could the shot stopper be Adrian’s latest rival for the number one spot next season? It has been reported by The Daily Star over the weekend that we are interested in an £8 million move for Middlesbrough winger Adama Troare. The former Villa man impressed in flashes last season at The Riverside, but his efforts weren’t enough to keep The Teesside club afloat in The Premier League. However, there does seem to be a way out for the former Barcelona man, as Premier League clubs come calling. So could The Spaniard be rivalling the likes of Robert Snodgrass or Sofiane Feghouli for a first team place next season?
West Ham Ladies sign new sponsorship deal
New Hammers Ladies managing director Jack Sullivan has made his first bold statement in his new role by signing a lucrative new sponsorship deal with energy drinks supplier Rich Energy. The CEO of the multinational business is lifelong Hammers fan William Storey had this to say on a proud day for him: “It’s a phenomenal privilege for us to work with such a great business and team”. Rich energy will now become the first in a proposed long line of new sponsors for the ladies, as the plan to breathe life back into the side begins.