DERBY COUNTY v WEST HAM UNITED
npower CHAMPIONSHIP
SATURDAY 31 DECEMBER 2011
KICK-OFF: 1PM
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
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Introduction
• West Ham United travel to Derby County for their final league fixture of 2011. The Hammers go to Pride Park having amassed more points (24) on the road than any other npower Championship club this term. West Ham have won seven times (Doncaster Rovers, Watford, Nottingham Forest, Brighton & Hove Albion, Hull City, Coventry City and Middlesbrough) and drawn three (Millwall, Crystal Palace and Birmingham City) of their 12 away matches this season.
• The Hammers are seeking a first away victory in three attempts. Sam Allardyce's side have lost at Reading (3-0) and drawn at Birmingham City (1-1) since winning 2-0 at Middlesbrough on 29 November.
• West Ham United are unbeaten in their previous seven visits to Derby County - a run dating back to a 2-0 Rams success in the Premier League on 6 December 1997. The Hammers' most-recent trip to Pride Park ended in a 5-0 victory on 10 November 2007 - a game that saw Robert Green, George McCartney and Carlton Cole start for West Ham.
• West Ham United's 38 league goals have been shared between 15 different players. Carlton Cole leads the way with eight goals to his name.
• Derby County go into Saturday's fixture having won two their previous three straight npower Championship matches. The Rams secured home successes against Bristol City (2-1) and Leeds United (1-0) either side of a 1-0 defeat at Ipswich Town.
• The Rams, who won their opening four npower Championship fixtures, sit 14th in the table, having collected 31 points from 23 matches played.
• Derby County's 27 league goals have been shared between 12 players. Theo Robinson and Steve Davies lead the way with five goals each.
• West Ham United scored a 3-1 win over Derby County in the reverse npower Championship fixture on Saturday 26 November. Derby went a goal up through on-loan Ipswich Town striker Tamas Priskin before Carlton Cole levelled things up a minute before half-time. Kevin Nolan put the Hammers in front before Mark Noble's penalty made the game safe.
• West Ham United and Derby County met on 31 December 1927. A 2-2 Division One draw was watched by 22,000 fans at the Boleyn Ground, with the hosts' goals being scored by Vic Watson and Jimmy Ruffell.
• The first-ever meeting between West Ham United and Derby County took place on 17 December 1921. The Hammers ran out 3-1 Division Two winners in front of 20,000 supporters at the Boleyn Ground, with Syd Puddefoot scoring twice and Bill James once.
• West Ham United have lost just one of their previous 16 matches against Derby County in all competitions - a run dating back to December 1997. The Rams' sole win during that span was a 2-1 Championship win at the Boleyn Ground on 23 January 2005.
• West Ham United will contest their first New Year's Eve fixture since travelling to Charlton Athletic on 31 December 2005. The Addicks triumphed 2-0 through goals from Shaun Bartlett and Darren Bent.
• Sam Allardyce recorded his first victory in five meetings with Derby County as a manager when West Ham United scored a 3-1 home success in the reverse npower Championship fixture on 26 November 2011. Big Sam lost twice in the Premier League while with Bolton Wanderers during the 2001/02 season. In 2007/08, his Newcastle United side were the only side beaten by the Rams during the whole Premier League season, going down to a 1-0 defeat at Pride Park on 17 September 2007. Abdoulaye Faye also appeared as a substitute in the same game.
Team news
West Ham United
• Winston Reid (dislocated shoulder), Gary O'Neil (knee), Henri Lansbury (knee), and Sam Baldock (hamstring) are all back in contention to start the New Year's Eve fixture after recovering from their respective injuries.
• Marek Stech (shoulder), Matt Taylor (calf), Abdoulaye Faye (calf) and Guy Demel (thigh) are the only injury absentees from Sam Allardyce's squad that will travel to the Midlands early on Friday.
• The Hammers will also be without suspended quartet Jack Collison, George McCartney, Julien Faubert and Kevin Nolan. All four will be available again for the 2 January visit of Coventry City.
• Pablo Barrera and Jordan Spence are on season-long loans at Real Zaragoza and Bristol City respectively. Cristian Montano (Dagenham & Redbridge), Herita Ilunga (Doncaster Rovers) and Callum McNaughton (AFC Wimbledon) are all out on temporary loans.
Derby County
• Derby County will definitely be without defender Mark O'Brien, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury.
• Promising midfielder Jeff Hendrick is sidelined with an ankle injury that will keep him out until mid-January.
• Scotland international Stephen Pearson (Bristol City) is out on loan, but former West Ham United goalkeeper Stephen Bywater is back from a temporary spell with League One side Sheffield Wednesday.
• Former England Under-20 striker Nathan Tyson has recently returned from injury and is likely to start up front.
Last time out
Monday 26 December 2011
npower Championship
Birmingham City 1-1 West Ham United
West Ham United: Green, O'Brien, McCartney, Tomkins, Potts, Nolan, Noble, Faubert (Sears 84), Diop, Cole (Carew 74), Piquionne (Lansbury 58)
Subs not used: Boffin, O'Neil
Goal: Cole 4
Monday 26 December 2011
npower Championship
Derby County 1-0 Leeds United
Derby County: Fielding, Brayford, Roberts, Barker, Shackell, Bryson, Bailey, Green, Tyson (Robinson 65), Ward, Ball (O'Brien 90)
Subs not used: Legzdins, B.Davies, Priskin
Goal: Ward 67
Last six meetings
26 November 2011 West Ham United 3-1 Derby County (Championship)
19 April 2008 West Ham United 2-1 Derby County (Premier League)
10 November 2007 Derby County 0-5 West Ham United (Premier League)
23 January 2005 West Ham United 1-2 Derby County (Championship)
29 September 2004 Derby County 1-1 West Ham United (Championship)
10 April 2004 West Ham United 0-0 Derby County (Division One)
Overall record v Derby County (all competitions) W 27 D 23 L 25
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
Derby County
2010/11 Championship 19th
2009/10 Championship 14th
2008/09 Championship 19th
2007/08 Premier League 20th (relegated to Championship)
2006/07 Championship 3rd (promoted to Premier League via Play-Offs)
2005/06 Championship 20th
2004/05 Championship 4th
2003/04 Division One 20th
2002/03 Division One 18th
2001/02 Division One 19th
Referee
• Saturday's referee will be Jon Moss.
• Headteacher Moss was promoted to the Select Group of referees in June 2011 and has been officiating in the Premier League this season.
• After progressing through the Northern Counties East League and Northern Premier League, Moss was promoted to the National Group of assistant referees in 2003.
• Moss took charge of the 2005 Conference Play-off final between Carlisle United and Stevenage. He was then promoted to the National Group of referees in 2005.
• Moss will be assisted by Bobby Pollock and Adrian Holmes, while the fourth official will be Tony Bates.
Us and them
• The following players have worn the colours of both West Ham United and Derby County during their careers - Vic Blore, Stephen Bywater, Paul Goddard, Derek Hales, John Harkes, Robert Lee, Chris Powell, William Robson, Igor Stimac, Dave Swindlehurst, Paulo Wanchope.
• James Tomkins spent five weeks on loan at Derby County between November 2008 and January 2010, making seven Championship and one League Cup appearances.
• West Ham United beat Derby County 5-2 in an FA Cup semi-final played on 23 March 1923. The fixture between two Division Two sides was played at Stamford Bridge in front of a 50,795-strong crowd - the second-largest to witness a match between the Hammers and the Rams.
• West Ham United and Derby County met in the FA Charity Shield at Wembley on 9 August 1975. The League champions ran out 2-0 winners, with Kevin Hector and Kevin McFarland scoring the Rams' goals in front of an attendance of 59,000.
• The largest crowd to watch West Ham United take on Derby County at the Boleyn Ground is the 35,000 who watched Jim Barrett and Jimmy Ruffell score in a 2-0 Division One victory for the Hammers on 21 September 1929.
• The smallest attendance for a West Ham United versus Derby County fixture at the Boleyn Ground is the 11,493 who saw the sides draw 1-1 in Division One on 20 September 1992.
• West Ham United's largest win at Derby County was the 5-0 Premier League victory secured on the Hammers' most-recent visit on 10 November 2007. Lee Bowyer (two), Matty Etherington, Nobby Solano and an Eddie Lewis own-goal completed the scoring in front of a 32,440-strong crowd.
• Derby County's biggest home win over West Ham United came on 8 December 1927, when the Rams ran out 6-0 Division One winners at the Baseball Ground in front of an estimated 20,000 crowd.
• Ten players have made their West Ham United debuts against Derby County - John Coshall (December 1928), Jim Wood (September 1929), Arthur Fryatt (March 1931), Leslie Bennett (25 December 1954), Alan Blackburn (27 December 1954), Stuart Slater (October 1987), Ralph Milne (January 1990), John Hartson and Paul Kitson (February 1997) and Ian Feuer (April 2000).
• Don Hutchison made his second 'debut' for West Ham United against Derby County in September 2001.
Up next
• West Ham United host Coventry City on Monday 2 January 2012 at 3pm, while Derby County travel to Hull City at the same time.
General information
• Saturday's weather forecast is for light rain with a maximum daytime temperature of 12C (54F).
• Tickets will be on sale from the Alpari Stand Ticket Office at the Boleyn Ground until 3pm on Friday 30 December. Tickets will also be available to purchase on the day of the game from the Away Ticket Office in the South Stand at Pride Park from 11.30am on Saturday.