WATFORD v WEST HAM UNITED
npower CHAMPIONSHIP
TUESDAY 16 AUGUST 2011
KICK-OFF: 7.45pm
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
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Introduction
• West Ham United head to Vicarage Road looking for back to back wins on the road for the first time since December 2007 - when the Hammers won at Blackburn Rovers and Middlesbrough before Christmas.
• Sam Allardyce's men got their campaign up and running with a 1-0 win at Doncaster Rovers on Saturday, courtesy of Kevin Nolan's first goal for the club, having lost 1-0 at home to Cardiff City on the opening weekend.
• Watford went down by the same scoreline at home to Derby County, having drawn 2-2 on the opening day at Burnley.
• Both teams saw their Carling Cup first-round ties postponed last week. Watford will now travel to Bristol City on Tuesday 23 August, the day before the Hammers welcome Aldershot Town.
• The Hammers were relegated last season after finishing last in the Barclays Premier League. Watford finished 14th in the Championship.
• This is West Ham's fifth spell outside the top flight since the promotion season of 1957/58. Those previous occasions lasted for three seasons, two seasons, one season and two seasons, and in those eight campaigns the lowest second-tier finish was seventh.
• West Ham spent six seasons in the Premier League, having last been promoted in 2004/05. Watford have been a Championship club since the 2007/08 campaign, following their relegation from the Premier League.
• West Ham's best away win at Watford was a 2-0 success on Saturday 19 April 1986.
• Watford's best home showing against the Hammers was a 5-0 top-flight win on Tuesday 2 April 1985.
• James Tomkins and Watford keeper Scott Loach were both part of the England squad at the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
• Frank Nouble's first professional goal came while on loan at Swansea when he scored the decisive strike in a 3-2 defeat of Watford at Vicarage Road on 28 September 2010.
• Sean Dyche, like Sam Allardyce, was only appointed this summer after former Hammers defender Malky Mackay departed for Cardiff City.
• Neil McDonald and Dyche both sat the Warwick Business School certificate in Applied Football Management for football professionals together in summer 2007. The qualification was commissioned by the Professional Footballers' Association, the League Managers' Association, and the Football Association to to sit alongside the Football Association's mandatory UEFA Pro Licence.
Team news
West Ham United
• Peter Kurucz (knee) and Gary O'Neil (ankle) are both definitely out. Julien Faubert trained last week after a hamstring injury but has still yet to figure in the Championship this season.
• Frank Nouble is hoping to force his way into the manager's matchday squad, after Junior Stanislas came off the bench at Doncaster last Saturday. Pablo Barrera was rested at the weekend after returning late from international duty with Mexico.
• New recruits George McCartney and John Carew are not yet ready to be involved. Jordan Brown has been back in light training after his ankle injury in pre-season.
• Jordan Spence is on a season-long loan at Bristol City while Olly Lee and Cristian Montano are on month-long stays at Dagenham & Redbridge and Notts County respectively.
Watford
• The hosts are without Scottish midfielder Stephen McGinn, who has been missing since February with a knee injury.
• Dyche had worries over former Birmingham City defender Martin Taylor and Craig Forsythe before the Derby game at the weekend but both started.
Last time out
Saturday 13 August 2011
npower Championship
Doncaster Rovers 0-1 West Ham United
West Ham United: Green, O'Brien, Tomkins, Reid, Ilunga, Collison, Noble, Parker, Nolan, Taylor, Piquionne
Subs not used: Boffin, Faye
Goal: Nolan 5
Saturday 13 August 2011
Watford 0-1 Derby County
Watford: Loach, Doyley, Taylor, Dickinson, Mariappa, Yeates, Eustace, Jenkins, Forsythe (Massey 87), Iwelumo (Deeney 71), Sordell
Subs not used: Mirfin, Buaben, Gilmartin
Last six meetings
(Championship unless stated)
23 September 2008 - Watford 1-0 West Ham United (Carling Cup)
1 February 2007 - West Ham United 0-1 Watford (Premier League
27 January 2007 - West Ham United 0-1 Watford (FA Cup)
22 August 2006 - Watford 1-1 West Ham United (Premier League)
8 May 2005 - Watford 1-2 West Ham United
27 November 2004 - West Ham United 3-2 Watford
Overall record v Watford (all competitions) W 23 D 5 L 8
Ten-year records
West Ham United
2010/11 Premier League 20th (33 points)
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)
Watford
2010/11 Championship 14th (61 points)
2009/10 Championship 16th (54 points)
2008/09 Championship 13th (58 points)
2007/08 Championship 6th (70 points)
2006/07 Premier League 20th (28 points)
2005/06 Championship 3rd (81 points, promoted to Premier League via Play-Off)
2004/05 Championship 18th (52 points)
2003/04 First Division (now Championship) 16th (57 points)
2002/03 First Division (now Championship) 13th (60 points)
2001/02 First Division (now Championship) 14th (59 points)
Referee
• Tuesday's referee will be Dean Whitestone
• He became a Football League in 2005/06 and has never officiated a West Ham United match previously.
• His last Watford game was their 3-0 home win against Sheffield United in the npower Championship on 12 March 2011.
Old boys
• Players to have represented both clubs include Joe Blythe, James Carr, David Connolly, Alan Devonshire, Colin Foster, Ted Hufton, Roger Hugo, Billy Jennings, Jimmy Lindsay, Jobi McAnuff, Malky Mackay, David Noble, Jack Rutherford and Joe Webster.
Next up
• West Ham United welcome Leeds United to the Boleyn Ground next Sunday afternoon while Watford are on the road at Coventry City this Saturday afternoon.
General information
• For ticket information, click here.
• Tuesday's forecast in Watford is for a cloudy evening with temperatures peaking at 15C.