WEST HAM UNITED v LEICESTER CITY
npower CHAMPIONSHIP
SATURDAY 29 OCTOBER 2011
KICK-OFF: 3PM
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
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Introduction
• West Ham United entertain Leicester City in their 14th npower Championship fixture of 2011/12 seeking their fourth home league victory of the season in seven attempts. The Hammers have previously beaten Portsmouth (4-3), Peterborough United (1-0) and Blackpool (4-0), drawn with Leeds United (2-2) and lost to Cardiff City and Ipswich Town (both 0-1).
• The Hammers know a victory over the Foxes could put them top of the table, with leaders Southampton hosting third-place Middlesbrough at St Mary's.
• Both of West Ham United's home defeats have come by way of goals in the 89th minute or later. Kenny Miller netted for Cardiff City on the opening weekend of the season, while Lee Bowyer scored for Ipswich Town last time out. Ross McCormack also secured a point for Leeds United with a last-minute strike on 21 August.
• Leicester City are without a permanent manager following the departure of Sven-Goran Eriksson on Monday. Academy director Jon Rudkin, goalkeeper coach Mike Stowell and development coach Steve Beaglehole will take joint-caretaker charge of the squad this afternoon.
• The Foxes go into the weekend 14th in the npower Championship table following a 3-0 home defeat by Millwall last Saturday.
• Sam Allardyce and his players are seeking a second straight home victory following their 4-0 win over Blackpool a fortnight ago.
• Victory will take West Ham United's all-time total of league points to 4,000.
• West Ham United have helped their hosts set stadium record attendances in each of their previous two away matches at Southampton (St Mary's) and Brighton & Hove Albion (American Express Community Stadium).
• Leicester City have not won away since the opening-day trip to Coventry, drawing four and losing one of the five subsequent games and failing to score in the last three.
Team news
West Ham United
• Robert Green (knee) and James Tomkins (groin) have been added to the matchday squad.
• Carlton Cole will be absent agan after a minor ligament issue that saw him miss the club's last three matches. He could be fit for Tuesday's visit of Bristol City
• Matt Taylor (calf) is hoping to be back after the international break. Henri Lansbury is definitely out for several weeks with a knee injury.
• Guy Demel is still being treated for a hamstring injury that has delayed his debut.
• Gary O'Neil (ankle) is out with long-term ankle injury.
• Pablo Barrera and Jordan Spence are on season-long loans at Real Zaragoza and Bristol City respectively. Ahmed Abdulla and Cristian Montano (Swindon Town), Robert Hall (Oxford United), Herita Ilunga (Doncaster Rovers), Olly Lee (Dagenham & Redbridge), Callum McNaughton (AFC Wimbledon), Frank Nouble (Gillingham), Marek Stech (Yeovil Town) and Dominic Vose (Braintree) are all out on temporary loans.
Leicester City
• The Foxes will be without captain Matt Mills, who is suspended after being sent-off at Birmingham City on 14 October.
• Striker Paul Gallagher is available after coming through 70 minutes of a reserve-team outing against Coventry City on Tuesday.
• Leicester City have allowed England Under-21 striker Martyn Waghorn to join npower Championship rivals Hull City on loan until January 2012.
Last time out
Monday 24 October 2011
npower Championship
Brighton & Hove Albion 0-1 West Ham United
West Ham United: Almunia, O'Brien, Reid, McCartney, Faye, Faubert (Baldock 90), Nolan, Collison, Noble, Diop (Sears 54), Carew (Piquionne 65)
Subs not used: Boffin, Moncur
Goals: Nolan 17
Saturday 22 October 2011
Leicester City 0-3 Millwall
Leicester City: Schmeichel, Peltier, Konchesky, Bamba, St. Ledger, King, Johnson (Fernandes 74), Wellens, Abe (Dyer 45), Beckford (Vassell 45), Nugent
Subs not used: Weale, Pantsil
Last six meetings
18 March 2005 West Ham United 2-2 Leicester City (Championship)
7 August 2004 Leicester City 0-0 West Ham United (Championship)
12 January 2002 West Ham United 1-0 Leicester City (Premier League)
22 December 2001 Leicester City 1-1 West Ham United (Premier League)
23 December 2000 Leicester City 2-1 West Ham United (Premier League)
23 August 2000 West Ham United 0-1 Leicester City (Premier League)
Overall record v Leicester City (all competitions) W 48 D 29 L 42
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
Leicester City
2010/11 Championship 10th
2009/10 Championship 5th
2008/09 League One 1st
2007/08 Championship 22nd
2006/07 Championship 19th
2005/06 Championship 16th
2004/05 Championship 15th
2003/04 Premier League 18th
2002/03 Division One, 2nd (promoted to Premier League)
2001/02 Premier League 20th (relegated to Division One)
Referee
• Saturday's referee will be James Linington.
• Linington was appointed to the Select Group of assistant referees in 2006, but has yet to be promoted to the Select Group of referees who officiate in the Barclays Premier League.
• Linington will be taking charge of a West Ham United first-team fixture for the second time in his career this evening, having previously controlled the Hammers' 1-0 Carling Cup victory over Oxford United in August 2010.
• After giving up playing football at the age of 15, Linington moved into refereeing and originally specialised in being an assistant referee through his career in the professional game.
• After running the line in the 2006 League One play-off final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, the official took charge of the 2010 League Two play-off final between Dagenham & Redbridge and Rotherham United at Wembley in May 2010, having joined the National Group as a referee in 2008.
• Linington has yet to officiate at a West Ham or Leicester City fixture this season, but has been in charge of three previous npower Championship matches in 2011/12.
• He will be assisted by Brett Huxtable and Richard Kendall, while the fourth official will be Michael George.
Us and them
• The following players have worn the colours of both West Ham United and Leicester City during their careers - Syd Bishop, David Connolly, Tony Cottee, Brian Deane, Les Ferdinand, George Hebden, Andrew Impey, Dai Jones, David Kelly, Paul Konchesky, Colin Mackleworth, William Oakes, John Pantsil and Norman Proctor.
• Barking-born Paul Konchesky played 70 times for West Ham United between August 2005 and March 2007, scoring twice. The left-back netted one of those goals in the 2006 FA Cup final defeat by Liverpool in May 2006.
• Ghana international right-back John Pantsil made 24 appearances for West Ham United between August 2006 and May 2008.
• The largest crowd to witness a West Ham United versus Leicester City fixture was the 39,000 who turned out to watch the Hammers defeat the Foxes 3-2 in Division Two on 10 April 1936.
• West Ham United's largest home victory over Leicester City was the 6-2 Division One success recorded on 21 September 1974. Billy Jennings and Bobby Gould both scored twice, with Billy Bonds and Keith Robson also hitting the target. Frank Worthington netted both goals for the Foxes in front of a 21,377-strong crowd. West Ham also recorded 4-0 home wins over Leicester City in March 1928 and November 1968.
• Leicester City's biggest-ever win at the Boleyn Ground came in the shape of a 5-2 Division One success on 11 September 1965. Geoff Hurst put West Ham United two goals up before braces from Derek Dougan and Jackie Sinclair and a late goal from Jimmy Goodfellow completed the Hammers misery. The result constituted the third straight league game in which West Ham had conceded five goals following defeats by Sheffield United (3-5) and Liverpool (1-5).
• Fifteen players have made their West Ham United debuts against Leicester City - William Waugh (January 1922), Wally St Pier (October 1929), Frederick Gamble (April 1931), Jack Weare, Charlie Walker (both September 1936), Ken Wright (September 1946), Eric Parsons (January 1947), Bob Wyllie, Eddie Lewis (both November 1956), Alan Sealey (April 1961), Roger Hugo (March 1964), Ian Bishop, Trevor Morley (both December 1989), Sergei Rebrov and Teddy Sheringham (both August 2004).
• Mark Noble is the sole survivor from West Ham United's previous meeting with Leicester City on 18 March 2005. The midfielder started the Championship fixture which finished in a 2-2 draw at the Boleyn Ground.
• Kasper Schmeichel made his Manchester City debut in Sven-Goran Eriksson's first match in charge - a 2-0 Premier League win at West Ham United on 11 August 2007.
• Sam Allardyce has an unbeaten record against Leicester City as a manager. In five matches at Bolton Wanderers, Big Sam guided the Trotters to two victories and three draws against the Foxes.
• Kevin Nolan netted twice in Bolton Wanderers' 5-0 Premier League victory at Leicester City in August 2001. Nolan also scored in the reverse fixture, a 2-2 draw at the Reebok Stadium in December 2001.
Up next
• West Ham United will play host to Bristol City at the Boleyn Ground on Tuesday, while Leicester City will go to Burnley.
General information
• Fans can pay on the day. For the latest ticket information, click here. To order online, visit www.whufcboxoffice.com
• Saturday's weather forecast is for a cloudy day with sunny intervals. The temperature is set to peak around the 18C mark.