Newcastle United v West Ham United
Barclays Premier League
St. James' Park
Wednesday 5 January 2011
Kick-off: 7.45pm
Referee: Mike Dean
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Introduction
• West Ham United travel to Newcastle United on a high, having lifted clear of the relegation zone for the first time this season. The Hammers began the week in 16th place, with the 2-0 home win against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday making it a four-match unbeaten run. Newcastle are equally buoyant having won 1-0 at Wigan Athletic on Sunday. The Magpies are up to tenth but only five points clear of their visitors this midweek.
• Alan Pardew, the new Newcastle manager, will know West Ham well having led the team to distinction between 2003 and 2006 - the tenth manager in the club's history. Avram Grant is No13 in that list.
• The last time the teams met at St James' Park saw Andy Carroll score his first Newcastle goal on his first competitive start in a creditable 2-2 draw for the Hammers on 10 January 2009. Former Magpies striker Craig Bellamy (29) cancelled out Michael Owen's goal (19) before Carlton Cole put the Hammers in front ten minutes after the break. The home side earned a point when Carroll struck with 12 minutes to play.
Newcastle United: Given, Taylor, Coloccini, Bassong, Enrique, Gutierrez, Guthrie, Geremi ('Zogbia 62), Duff, Owen, Carroll
Subs not used: Harper, Xisco, Kadar, Edgar, Lua Lua
West Ham United: Green, Neill, Collins, Upson, Ilunga, Behrami, Parker, Noble (Mullins 86), Collison (Boa Morte 76), Cole, Bellamy (Di Michele 81)
Subs not used: Stech, Faubert, Tristan, Tomkins
Last time out
Saturday 1 January 2010
West Ham United 2-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
West Ham: Green, Gabbidon, Ben Haim, Upson, Tomkins, Parker, Kovac, Stanislas (Noble 70), Piquionne, Cole, Sears
Subs not used: Boffin, Obinna, Boa Morte, Reid, Hines, Barrera
Goals: Zubar og 51, Sears 79
Sunday 2 January 2010
Wigan Athletic 0-1 Newcastle United
Newcastle: Harper, Taylor, Enrique, Simpson, Coloccini, Barton, Gutierrez, Tiote, Nolan (Smith 86), Lovenkrands (Routledge 70), Ameobi (Best 77)
Subs not used: Krul, Williamson, Perch, Ranger
Goal: Ameobi 19
Last meeting
The sides met on Saturday 23 October 2010 at the Boleyn Ground - coincidentally as now for the Hammers immediately after a match against Wolves and before a game against Arsenal. Grant's men were quick out of the blocks with Carlton Cole scoring on 12 minutes before Newcastle weathered the storm and struck back with unanswered goals from Kevin Nolan (23) and Andy Carroll (69).
West Ham: Green, Gabbidon, Jacobsen, Upson (Ilunga 53), Da Costa, Parker, Noble, Behrami (Barrera 76) , Piquionne (McCarthy 68), Cole, Obinna
Subs not used: Stech, Ben Haim, Boa Morte, Faubert
Newcastle: Krul, Williamson, Enrique, Simpson, Coloccini, Barton, Gutierrez, Tiote, Nolan, Carroll, Ameobi
Subs not used: Soderberg, Routledge, Taylor, Perch, Guthrie, Lovenkrands, Smith
Head to head
23 October 2010 - West Ham United 1-2 Newcastle United
10 January 2009 - Newcastle United 2-2 West Ham United
20 September 2008 - West Ham United 3-1 Newcastle United
26 April 2008 - West Ham United 2-2 Newcastle United
23 September 2007 - Newcastle United 3-1 West Ham United
20 January 2007 - Newcastle United 2-2 West Ham United
Overall record v Newcastle United (all competitions): W 37, D 35, L 48
Ten-year records
West Ham United
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)
2000/01 Premier League 15th (42 points)
Newcastle United
2009/10 Championship 1st (102 points - promoted to Premier League)
2008/09 Premier League 18th (34 points - relegated to Championship)
2007/08 Premier League 12th (43 points)
2006/07 Premier League 13th (43 points)
2005/06 Premier League 7th (58 points)
2004/05 Premier League 14th (44 points)
2003/04 Premier League 5th (56 points)
2002/03 Premier League 3rd (69 points)
2001/02 Premier League 4th (71 points)
2000/01 Premier League 11th (51 points)
Referee
• Wednesday's referee is Mike Dean who was the official for the start of the club's current four-match unbeaten run, the 1-1 away draw at Blackburn Rovers on 18 December. Before that, he took charge of the Hammers' opening-day 3-0 defeat at Aston Villa and the 2-2 home draw with West Bromwich Albion on 10 November.
• He has overseen two Newcastle games this campaign. The first was the 1-0 win at Arsenal on 7 November and the 3-1 loss at West Bromwich Albion on 5 December.
• Dean began refereeing in 1985, starting out his career in senior football in the Northern Premier League.
• In 2004, Dean took charge of his first international match, a friendly between the Netherlands and Republic of Ireland at Amsterdam Arena. That same year, he took control of the FA Community Shield between Arsenal and Manchester United.
• In May 2006, he refereed the Championship play-off final between Leeds United and Watford at the Millennium Stadium. In 2008, he was the man-in-the-middle for the FA Cup final between Portsmouth and Cardiff City at Wembley Stadium.
Team news
West Ham United
• Manager Avram Grant is definitely without Thomas Hitzlsperger (thigh), Jack Collison (knee) and Manuel da Costa (ankle). None are expected to return before February at the earliest. Goalkeeper Peter Kurucz (knee) is not expected to play at all this season.
• Herita Ilunga, Kieron Dyer (thigh) and Benni McCarthy (calf) are suffering with muscle problems that will keep them out.
• Lars Jacobsen and Valon Behrami are back in full training having been kept out with a troublesome heel and hip respectively since the Wigan Athletic match on 27 November.
Newcastle United
• Andy Carroll missed out on Newcastle's win at Wigan with a thigh injury that could keep him out again.
• France international midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa is still sidelined as he continues his recuperation from a broken leg.
• England Under-21 midfielder Dan Gosling is also out as he is nursing a knee injury, while right-sided defender or midfielder Ryan Taylor has an ankle problem.
Background
West Ham United
• West Ham United are seeking back-to-back away victories in the Premier League for the first time since December 2007, when they took maximum points at Blackburn Rovers and then Middlesbrough.
• No West Ham player has started every game this season. Frederic Piquionne and Carlton Cole have appeared in every Premier League fixture this season.
• West Ham have yet to score in the first ten minutes of a Premier League game this season - the quickest strike being Carlton Cole's 12th-minute goal against Newcastle in the first meeting.
• Danny Gabbidon has the quickest card in the division this season, earning a caution just 85 seconds into the Fulham home game.
• Scott Parker's threat of a one-match ban for five yellow cards has disappeared after he made it to the end of 2010 on four cautions. The disciplinary rules now state that a two-match ban will follow for any player picking up ten yellow cards.
• West Ham have not won at St James' Park since 1998, when the Hammers won 3-0. Ian Wright scored a brace in that victory.
Newcastle United
• The Magpies are under new management after Chris Hughton's departure and Alan Pardew's appointment three days later on 9 December 2010.
• Newcastle have lost four times at St James' Park this season, the highest number of home defeats for any Barclays Premier League club in 2010/11.
• Newcastle have kept just one clean sheet in their previous nine league matches.
Old boys
• Scott Parker is a former Newcastle captain, who spent two years at the north-east club after joining from Chelsea in July 2005 prior to his £7m move to West Ham in June 2007. He played 55 league games, scoring four goals.
• Kieron Dyer spent eight years at Newcastle between July 1999 and August 2007, before his £6m switch to the Hammers. He played 190 times for the club in the Barclays Premier League, scoring 23 times.
• Newcastle manager Alan Pardew spent a little more than three years in charge at West Ham between October 2003 and December 2006. Pardew led the Hammers to promotion via the play-offs in 2004/05 and the 2006 FA Cup final. In total, he took charge of 163 matches, winning 67, losing 58 and drawing 38.
• Others who have played for both clubs include Lee Bowyer, Franz Carr, John Dowsey, Dave Gardner, Paul Goddard, Shaka Hislop, James Jackson, Vic Keeble, Matthew Kingsley, Paul Kitson, Robert Lee, Joe Loughlin, Stuart Pearce, Wayne Quinn, Bryan 'Pop' Robson, George Robson, Keith Robson, Harold Smith, Nolberto Solano, Hal Tate and David Terrier.
Next up
• The Hammers welcome Barnsley in the FA Cup third round on Saturday when Newcastle go to Stevenage Borough in the day's televised evening kick-off.
General information
• For ticket information, click here.
• Wednesday's forecast in Newcastle is for light rain and a maximum temperature of 3C.