CRYSTAL PALACE v WEST HAM UNITED
npower CHAMPIONSHIP
SATURDAY 1 OCTOBER 2011
KICK-OFF: 3PM
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
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Introduction
• West Ham United head to south London knowing victory over Crystal Palace could take them top of the npower Championship table. The Hammers need to win and hope Southampton, Middlesbrough and Derby County fail to pick up three points themselves to go into first place. The Saints host Watford, while Boro and the Rams go to Reading and Leicester City respectively.
• The Hammers have collected 17 points from their opening nine league matches to sit in fourth place. Crystal Palace are ninth in the standings, having collected 13 points from nine games.
• The Hammers are seeking to extend their unbeaten away start to the season. Sam Allardyce's side have won at Doncaster Rovers (1-0), Watford (4-0) and Nottingham Forest (4-1), as well as drawing at Millwall (0-0) last time out on the road on 17 September.
• West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce has never lost to Crystal Palace in six previous meetings during his time in charge at Bolton Wanderers.
• Crystal Palace returned to form on Tuesday evening, winning 3-1 at rivals and promotion challengers Brighton & Hove Albion. The victory was secured through three goals in the final ten minutes from Wilfried Zaha, Darren Ambrose and Glenn Murray.
• The most recent competitive meeting between the two clubs came in the Division One Play-Off final at the Millennium Stadium on 29 May 2004. Neil Shipperley's goal gave the Eagles a 1-0 victory and secured their promotion to the Premier League.
• The largest crowd to watch a Crystal Palace versus West Ham United fixture at Selhurst Park is the 41,540 who witnessed the Hammers' 3-0 victory in south London on 30 October 1971. That result also marked West Ham's largest-ever success at the home of the Eagles. However, West Ham also recorded an 8-1 win at Palace during the First World War and a 6-1 win in south London during the Second World War.
• Eight players have made their West Ham United debuts against Crystal Palace - Thomas Lee (September 1907), David Waggott (September 1908), Albert Scanes (March 1910), Thomas Lonsdale (October 1913), Alfred Tirrell (February 1914), William Henderson (March 1922), William Edwards (March 1923) and Ade Coker (October 1971). Papa Bouba Diop could become the ninth.
• Ade Coker scored on his debut in a 3-0 Division One victory at Crystal Palace on 30 October 1971.
• John Carew played alongside Crystal Palace striker Steffen Iversen for Norway on many occasions, with the pair both being part of the country's squad for the 2000 UEFA European Championship finals. Carew and Eagles midfielder Jonathan Parr were both part of Norway's squads for their recent 2012 UEFA European Championship qualifiers against Iceland and Denmark last month.
• Crystal Palace manager Dougie Freedman was an unused substitute for the Eagles in their aforementioned Championship Play-Off final victory over West Ham United in May 2004.
• Kevin Nolan scored Newcastle United's opening goal in a 2-0 Championship win at Crystal Palace on 22 August 2009.
Team news
West Ham United
• Manager Sam Allardyce could hand striker John Carew his first league start for the club after the Norway international impressed as a substitute in midweek.
• Senegal midfielder Papa Bouba Diop could also be involved for the first time after remaining on the bench on Tuesday evening.
• Guy Demel is making good progress from a hamstring injury that has delayed his debut and could feature after returning to full training this week.
• Frederic Piquionne is available again after serving a three-match suspension for being sent-off in the 4-3 npower Championship victory over Portsmouth on 10 September. Piquionne has netted three goals in two development squad games since that red card.
• Hungarian goalkeeper Peter Kurucz is fit again after 14 months out with a knee injury and returned to action in Tuesday's development squad draw at Dagenham & Redbridge.
• Gary O'Neil (ankle) is out with long-term ankle injury. Matt Taylor (calf), Winston Reid (hamstring) and Joey O'Brien (hamstring) are all doubtful. Taylor and Reid missed out in midweek while O'Brien was hurt in the last minute trying to stop Ipswich's goal.
• Pablo Barrera and Jordan Spence are on season-long loans at Real Zaragoza and Bristol City respectively. Ahmed Abdulla (Swindon Town), Jordan Brown (Aldershot Town), Robert Hall (Oxford United), Olly Lee (Dagenham & Redbridge), Cristian Montano (Notts County) and Callum McNaughton (AFC Wimbledon) are all out on temporary loans.
Crystal Palace
• Midfielder Darren Ambrose will be eager to start after making a goal-scoring appearance off the bench in Tuesday's 3-1 win at Brighton & Hove Albion.
Last time out
Tuesday 27 September 2011
npower Championship
West Ham United 0-1 Ipswich Town
West Ham United: Green, O'Brien, McCartney, Faye, Tomkins, Lansbury (Collison 64), Noble (Faubert 90), Nolan, Bentley, Baldock, Cole (Carew 64)
Subs not used: Boffin, Bouba Diop
Tuesday 27 September 2011
npower Championship
Brighton & Hove Albion 1-3 Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace: Speroni, Wright (Ambrose 78), McCarthy, Moxey, Tunchev, Ramage (Parr 51), Jedinak, Williams (Gardner 90), Scannell, Zaha, Murray
Subs not used: Price, Easter
Goals: Zaha 80, Ambrose 89, Murray 90
Previous meetings
• The most recent competitive meeting between the two clubs came in the Division One Play-Off final at the Millennium Stadium on 29 May 2004. Neil Shipperley's goal gave the Eagles a 1-0 victory and secured their promotion to the Premier League.
The lineups were:
West Ham: Bywater, Repka, Dailly, Melville, Mullins, Harewood (Reo-Coker 68), Carrick, Lomas, Etherington, Zamora (Deane 68), Connolly (Hutchison 74)
Subs not used: Srnicek, Brevett.
Crystal Palace: Vaesen, Butterfield (Powell 69), Popovic, Leigertwood, Granville, Routledge, Riihilahti, Derry, Hughes, Shipperley, Johnson
Subs not used: Freedman, Berthelin, Black, Watson
Last six meetings
29 May 2004 - Crystal Palace 1-0 West Ham United (Champions Play-Off final)
12 April 2004 - Crystal Palace 1-0 West Ham United (Championship)
1 October 2003 - West Ham United 3-0 Crystal Palace (Championship)
5 May 1998 - Crystal Palace 3-3 West Ham United (Premier League)
3 December 1997 - West Ham United 4-1 Crystal Palace (Premier League)
6 May 1995 - Crystal Palace 1-0 West Ham United (Premier League)
Overall record v Crystal Palace - W 30 D 20 L 19
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
Crystal Palace
2010/11 Championship 20th
2009/10 Championship 21st
2008/09 Championship 15th
2007/08 Championship 5th
2006/07 Championship 12th
2005/06 Championship 6th
2004/05 Premier League 18th (relegated to Championship)
2003/04 Championship 6th (promoted to Premier League via Play-Offs)
2002/03 Championship 14th
2001/02 Championship 10th
Referee
• Saturday's referee will be Kevin Wright.
• The 41-year-old has taken charge of six league and cup fixtures this season, issuing 19 yellow cards. Wright has yet to referee a West Ham United or Crystal Palace match in 2011/12.
• Wright has refereed five Crystal Palace matches previously, the most recent being a 2-1 Championship defeat at Coventry City on 12 February 2011.
• Wright will be assisted by Nicholas Kinseley and Mark Pottage, while the fourth official will be Ian Rathbone.
Old boys
• Freddie Sears spent the opening half of the 2009/10 season on loan at Crystal Palace, making 19 first-team appearances.
• The following players are among those to have worn the colours of both West Ham United and Crystal Palace during their careers - George Andrew, Dave Bickles, Syd Bishop, Vic Blore, Jeroen Boere, Ron Brett, Paul Brush, Johnny Byrne, John Cartwright, Trevor Dawkins, Iain Dowie, Carl Fletcher, Howard Girling, Harry Gunning, Derek Jackman, Jobi McAnuff, Hayden Mullins, Fred Norris, Anton Otulakowski, George Petchey, Chris Powell, Darren Powell, Eddie Presland, Malcolm Pyke, Bill Roberts, Neil Ruddock, Freddie Sears, Peter Simpson, Andy Smillie, Alan Stephenson, Perry Suckling and Jimmy Wood.
Up next
• West Ham United will host Blackpool at the Boleyn Ground following the international break. Kick-off on Saturday 15 October will be at 3pm.
General information
• All standard tickets for Saturday's game have SOLD OUT. For details of how to get to Selhurst Park, click here.
• Saturday's weather forecast is for a warm and sunny day with a maximum daytime temperature of 26C (79F).
• Improvement works works are planned on the London Underground on Saturday. The Circle line will be closed, while the Northern line will be suspended between Camden Town and Kennington via Bank. On the DLR, no service will operate between Bank/Tower Gateway and Poplar/West India Quay, but replacement buses will be running.