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Those waiting for their season tickets may be confused by how small the package that falls through their letterbox is, of course it is not the much anticipated welcome pack, but your 'paper' ticket for the West Ham United v NK Domzale Europa Cup 2nd leg Thursday 4th of August KO 19:45 Hrs match at The Olympic Stadium.

Good news for West Ham fans desperate to see their team live on TV as opposed to by radio or by dodgy internet streams, BT sport will feature the 1st leg tie against NK Domzale on thursday on BT sport channel 2 with the broadcast beginning at 19:40 and the match kicking off at 19:45.

Confirmation that Aaron Cresswell's injury is far greater than we had initially thought (hence the removal of our previous article), is the sort of news that all West Ham fans feared but thought would never happen, Cresswell has been such an ever present in the starting line up that it seems almost inconceivable to see West Ham without him.

Lazy journalism is alive and well particularly in the form of the Sunday red tops, So the rumour that West Ham have put an £18 Million price tag on his head has surfaced and resurfaced more times than a motorway! Both of the Manchester clubs have supposedly been camped outside Oxford's parental home offering a king's ransom in wages and prepared to pay virtually any fee to prise the player away! What a load of twaddle, yes there is interest in Reece Oxford and why shouldn't there be?

An impressive and dominant West Ham United 3-0 victory against Karlsruher with goals from Carroll, Feghouli and Fletcher was however tarnished by a horrific tackle on Aaron Cresswell that initially looked like it had broken his leg! Thankfully Cresswell was able to leave the field unaided, but he was moving extremely gingerly and his chances of playing on thursday in the Europa Cup look to be extremely doubtful.

Team news is in, we will update at half time:
West Ham United staring line up: Randolph, Antonio, Nordvelt, Reid, Cresell, Feghouli, Noble, Kouyate, Tore, Valencia, Carroll. Subs: Spiegel, Rice, Page, Byram, Obiang, Cullen, Quina, Samuelsen, Makasi. Fletcher, Martinez.
It is highly likely that yet again wholesale changes will be made to the team, it is all part of the process! - Ed

West Ham United v Karlsruher SC Pre-season match, Saturday 23 July 2016, 5pm CEST (4pm BST) at the Franz-Fekete-Stadion, This is Hammers final warm up game ahead of this coming thursday's Europa League cup opener away to NK Domzale, Slaven Billic will be hoping to 'ease' players like Winston Reid and Andy Carroll in to a competitive environment gradually during this afternoon's match, he will of course be hoping his players avoid injury but they cannot be wrapped in cotton wool forever!

The appointment of Sam Allardyce as the new England manager is a little like fiction becoming life in a Mike Bassett sort of way, the FA have not countenanced messing with appointing a 'johnny foreigner; in the fall out of Roy Hodgson's disastrous competitive competition results, but have gone full belt and braces and might even play 4-4 effing 2!

Wednesday 20 July...London...14:18
The air foul and dank. The musky weave of scratching intermingled with stale gravy overpowering. The glooping odour of sweat deeply set in crevices long since washed. Body hair matted to skin in oily resin long since recognisable. The oversized mouth hung open, helpless, hopeless. The eyes gave a flicker but only the most positive of optimists would argue there was someone at home. The red and “white” scarf clinging to the flaps of skin around his neck was wet with the bile of anger and froth from the brown ale.

Having seen West Ham achieve two draws and two defeats so far in their friendlies, fans might be a little perplexed with the results, but the whole point of playing friendly matches is to prepare the team for the forthcoming 'serious and meaningful' fixtures ahead. As all the Austrian tour fixtures are being televised, it is safe to assume that those assistants who work for Conte of Chelsea, Hammers first opponents in the Barclays Premier League, and Guardiola at Manchester City Hammers third opponents, will have compiled DVD footage of what has been on show .