COVENTRY CITY v WEST HAM UNITED
npower CHAMPIONSHIP
SATURDAY 19 NOVEMBER 2011
KICK-OFF: 3PM
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
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Introduction
• West Ham United travel to Coventry City for their 17th npower Championship fixture of 2011/12 seeking their sixth away league victory in nine attempts. The Hammers have previously beaten Doncaster Rovers (1-0), Watford (4-0), Nottingham Forest (4-1), Brighton & Hove Albion (1-0) and Hull City (2-0), drawn with Millwall (0-0) and Crystal Palace (2-2) and lost at Southampton (0-1).
• The Hammers know a victory over the Sky Blues would keep them second in the table and could reduce the gap between themselves and leaders Southampton to two points. The Saints host south coast rivals Brighton & Hove Albion on the same day.
• Should the Hammers win at the Ricoh Stadium, they would surpass the number of league wins (nine) achieved in the whole of the 2010/11 season and surpass the eight recorded in 2009/10.
• West Ham United have a good recent record at Coventry City, having lost on just two of their previous nine visits to take on the Sky Blues. The Hammers have played just once previously at the Ricoh Arena, winning a League Cup fourth-round tie 2-1 on 30 October 2007 through Carlton Cole's late goal.
• Coventry City go into the weekend 23rd in the npower Championship table and four points adrift of safety. The Sky Blues have won just two of their eight home matches played so far and were beaten 4-2 by Southampton at the Ricoh Arena last time out.
• West Ham United have conceded just 13 league goals in 16 matches - the second-best defensive record in the npower Championship behind Middlesbrough (12). Coventry City have conceded 24 goals in 16 league games.
Team news
West Ham United
• West Ham United hope to welcome back Joey O'Brien after the Republic of Ireland international missed the trip to Hull City with a tight hamstring.
• Midfielder Matt Taylor could also be available after missing the previous four matches with an achilles problem.
• Guy Demel could be available to make his first-team debut after making his second development squad appearance at Whyteleafe on Tuesday evening.
• Back-up goalkeeper Ruud Boffin is unlikely to be available due to a finger injury, while Winston Reid is definitely sidelined with a dislocated shoulder suffered in the visit of Bristol City on 1 November.
• On-loan Arsenal midfielder Henri Lansbury is continuing his rehabilitation at Chadwell Heath as he recovers from a medial knee ligament injury.
• Gary O'Neil has stepped up his training this week as he edges closer to returning to action following a long-term ankle injury.
• Development squad players Matt Fry, Sergio Sanchez and Paul McCallum were all running again at Chadwell Heath this week. Seb Lletget has been with the US U23 team.
• Pablo Barrera and Jordan Spence are on season-long loans at Real Zaragoza and Bristol City respectively. Ahmed Abdulla (Swindon Town), Rob Hall (Oxford United), Herita Ilunga (Doncaster Rovers), Callum McNaughton (AFC Wimbledon), Cristian Montano (Dagenham & Redbridge) and Frank Nouble (Gillingham) are all out on loan.
Coventry City
• Teenage Burundi-born midfielder Gael Bigirimana is set to return after serving a three-match ban.
• Centre-back Martin Cranie is expected to return to the squad after recovering from the rib injury that has ruled him out for six weeks.
• Sky Blues manager Andy Thorn is also hoping to have defenders Richard Wood, James McPake and Chris Hussey available . Wood missed the home defeat by Southampton on 5 November, while McPake was forced off with an injury in the same fixture.
Last time out
Saturday 5 November 2011
npower Championship
Hull City 0-2 West Ham United
West Ham United: Green, McCartney, Tomkins, Faye, Faubert, Nolan, Collison, Noble, Diop (Sears 83), Baldock (Piquionne 87), Carew (Cole 46)
Subs not used: Kurucz, Potts
Goals: Baldock 49, Collison 57
Saturday 5 November 2011
npower Championship
Coventry City 2-4 Southampton
Coventry City: Murphy, Keogh, McPake (Willis 64), Cameron, Christie, Clingan, Deegan (Bell 46), Thomas, Jutkiewicz, McSheffrey, McDonald (Platt 67)
Subs not used: Dunn, Baker
Goals: Jutkiewicz 47, Platt 70
Last six meetings
30 October 2007 Coventry City 1-2 West Ham United (League Cup fourth round)
9 April 2005 West Ham United 3-0 Coventry City (Championship)
30 August 2004 Coventry City 2-1 West Ham United (Championship)
1 November 2003 West Ham United 2-0 Coventry City (Division One)
12 February 2003 Coventry City 1-1 West Ham United (Division One)
23 September 2000 Coventry City 3-0 West Ham United (Premier League)
Overall record v Coventry City (all competitions) W 42 D 24 L 26
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 Championship 4th
2002/03 Premier League 18th (relegated to Championship)
2001/02 Premier League 7th
Coventry City
2010/11 Championship 18th
2009/10 Championship 19th
2008/09 Championship 17th
2007/08 Championship 21st
2006/07 Championship 17th
2005/06 Championship 8th
2004/05 Championship 19th
2003/04 Division One 12th
2002/03 Division One 20th
2001/02 Division One 11th
Referee
• Saturday's referee will be Keith Stroud.
• Stroud began his refereeing career in the Wessex League in 1988.
• In 2000, he was added to the Football League List of assistant referees, running the line at the Division Three Play-Off final between Cheltenham Town and Rushden & Diamonds at the Millennium Stadium two years later.
• Stroud returned to the Millennium Stadium in May 2003, when he ran the line during Arsenal's FA Cup final victory over Southampton.
• Cheltenham were also involved when Stroud took charge of his first Football League match as a referee in August 2004, when the Robins lost 2-0 at home to Scunthorpe United.
• In March 2007, the official was given his first Premier League appointment for Manchester City's 2-0 win at Middlesbrough.
• The following season, 2007/08, Stroud was added to the Select Group of referees on a full-time basis.
• Stroud will take charge of a West Ham United fixture for the second time this season, having also been the man in the middle for the visit of Ipswich Town on 27 September.
Us and them
• The following players have worn the colours of both West Ham United and Coventry City during their careers - Jack Ball, Gary Breen, David Burrows, Noel Cantwell (manager), Laurie Conwell, Calum Davenport, Alan Dickie, Alf Fenwick, Bobby Gould, Tommy Green, Mike Grice, Robbie Keane, Tom Lee, Joe Loughlin, Mike Marsh, Cyril Norrington, Graham Paddon, Stewart Robson, Les Sealey, Danny Shone, Matthew Smailes, Elliott Ward and Steve Whitton.
• Coventry City and Wales striker Freddy Eastwood spent time with West Ham United as a schoolboy and trainee before leaving and joining non-league Grays Athletic in 2003.
• Sam Allardyce played 28 games for Coventry City under former Hammers favourite Bobby Gould in the 1983/84 season.
• The first-ever meeting between West Ham United and Coventry City took place at the Boleyn Ground on 21 November 1908. The Southern League First Division fixture ended in a 2-0 win for the Hammers in front of 6,000 fans, with the goals being scored by Jack Foster and Tom Randall.
• The first Football League meeting between West Ham United and Coventry City took place in front of 15,000 supporters at Highfield Road on 6 December 1919. The match finished in a goalless draw.
• The largest crowd to witness a Coventry City versus West Ham United fixture is the 34,568 who turned out for a League Cup semi-final first leg at Highfield Road on 27 January 1981. The Sky Blues triumphed 3-2 on the night, but the Hammers prevailed 4-3 on aggregate.
• West Ham United's biggest-ever win at Coventry City was the 3-0 Premier League success achieved on 23 September 2000. Joe Cole, Paolo Di Canio and Frank Lampard netted the Hammers' goals in front of a 21,020-strong crowd at Highfield Road.
• Coventry City's biggest-ever home win over West Ham United was a 5-1 Division Two success at Highfield Road on 11 April 1950. Terry Woodgate netted the Hammers' consolation goal in front of a crowd of 26,648.
• Fourteen players have made their West Ham United debuts against Coventry City - Stephen Smith (December 1919), William Guest (October 1936), Rod Williams (November 1937), Eddie Chapman (September 1948), Clive Charles (March 1972), Everald La Ronde (April 1982), Joe Gallagher (December 1982), Greg Chappell (September 1984), Stewart Robson (January 1987), Frank Lampard (January 1996), Paulo Futre (August 1996), Javier Margas (August 1998), Adam Newton (September 1999), Kaba Diawara (September 2000) and Brian Deane (November 2003).
Up next
• West Ham United host Derby County at 5.20pm on Saturday 26 November. Coventry City host Cardiff City on Tuesday 29 November, with kick-off at 7.45pm.
General information
• All standard tickets for this fixture are SOLD OUT. For details of how to purchase disabled/ambulant tickets, click here.
• For directions to the Ricoh Arena, click here.
• Saturday's weather forecast is for light rain and a daytime high temperature of 12C (54F).