Jul 19

West Ham’s bid fails as Graham Dorrans signs new deal with West Brom

• Baggies see off Irons’ ‘unwelcome and unsuccessful’ interest
• Scotland international Dorrans was top scorer last season

West Bromwich have successfully fended off interest from West Ham United to keep Graham Dorrans at the club, after the 23-year-old midfielder signed a new four-year contract.

The Scotland international was key to Albion’s promotion from the Championship last season, scoring 18 goals, and duly attracted the attention of other top-flight sides. West Ham formally declared their interest but were rebuffed on three occasions, with the Baggies desperate to retain their first-choice players for next season.

Dorrans was instead offered improved terms to remain at The Hawthorns and today committed himself to the club until 2015, with the option of an additional year also agreed.

A club statement confirming that Dorrans had signed the new deal described the Hammers’ interest as “unwelcome and unsuccessful”.

West Brom’s head coach, Roberto Di Matteo, said: “I’m delighted Graham has signed a new long-term contract, which is fully deserved. He made excellent progress last season and we’re now very hopeful he can make the step up to the Premier League.

“There has been a lot of media speculation about Graham’s future but it hasn’t affected him one bit. Ever since he has reported back for pre-season training, his attitude has been as spot-on as it always is and I know for a fact how much he’s looking forward to the new season. The exciting thing is that Graham knows he still has a lot of work to do and is yet to reach his full potential.”

Dorrans joined the Midlands club in July 2008 for £150,000 and quickly forced his way into the first team. Having represented Scotland at Under-19 and Under-21 level with his former club, Livingston, he has since earned three full caps, including a man-of-the-match performance against the Czech Republic in March.

West BromWest Ham UnitedTransfer windowguardian.co.uk

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Jul 06

Robert Green has future at West Ham, insists co-owner David Sullivan

• Goalkeeper to be offered contract extension in January
• Sullivan sure Green will fully recover from World Cup blunder

The West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan believes Robert Green has a long-term future at the club and is confident the goalkeeper has the strength of character to recover from the calamitous mistake that gifted the United States an equaliser against England in the World Cup last month.

Green has two years remaining on his current deal and there has been speculation for some time that he will leave West Ham after becoming frustrated at the club’s failure to reward him with an improved contract to bring him in line with other senior players at Upton Park. Sullivan, however, has insisted that West Ham want to retain Green’s services and, subject to the player’s form, will open talks in January with him over a new deal.

“All the players with two years to go – we will look at them in January, when there is 18 months to go,” said Sullivan. “We will see how they’re playing and how the club is doing and we’ll see what offers we can put to them.

“I hope [Robert] does have a long-term future at West Ham. We’ve got a fantastic new goalkeeping coach [David Coles, who has joined from Portsmouth] who I think will improve him dramatically. You’re never too old to learn and I think he’ll learn a lot.”

Sullivan claimed that West Ham’s stance would not in any way be influenced by the events at the World Cup, when Green allowed Clint Dempsey’s shot to slip through his grasp after Steven Gerrard had given England the lead. “No, [nothing has changed in the wake of the World Cup],” said Sullivan, who has backed Green to recover from the setback. “You judge any player over a season, not one incident in one match.

“I’m sure he’s got the character [to bounce back from the World Cup] and absolutely he’ll get the support from West Ham. I still can’t quite work out what happened. The ball probably swerved off the bounce, because that ball did bounce about very strangely, and that’s why his body wasn’t behind it. It came off at an angle. But that said and done, the whole England team didn’t play well. I’m sure you wouldn’t buy a single England player on the basis of what went on out there.”

West Ham UnitedStuart Jamesguardian.co.uk

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Jul 01

Premier League countdown: Where to see your team in pre-season

Pre-season fixtures for the Premier League teams ahead of the 2010-11 season

Arsenal

17 July v Barnet (A) 3pm

21 July v Sturm Graz (A) 6pm

27 July v SC Neusiedl 1919 (A) 6pm

31 July v Milan (H, Emirates Cup) 4.20pm

1 August v Celtic (H, Emirates Cup) 4.20pm

7 August v Legia Warsaw (A) 3pm

Aston Villa

24 July v Bohemians (A) 3pm

27 July v Walsall (A) 7.45pm

31 July v Feyenoord (A) 9.15pm

1 August v Benfica (A) 9.15pm

6 August v Valencia (H) 7.45pm

Birmingham City

18 July v Hong Kong League Selection Team (A) 3pm

21 July v Beijing Guoan FC (A) 7.30pm

24 July v Liaoning Hongyun Football Club (A) 8pm

31 July v Derby County (A) 3pm

3 August v MK Dons (A) 7.30pm

7 August v Real Mallorca (H) 3pm

Blackburn Rovers

10 July v Sturm Graz (A) 5pm

17 July v Fleetwood Town (A) 3pm

20 July v Preston North End (A) 7.45pm

21 July v Huddersfield Town (A) 7.45pm

25 July v Rangers (N, Sydney Festival of Football) 3pm

28 July v AEK Aens (N, Sydney Festival of Football) 6pm

31 July v Sydney FC (A, Sydney Festival of Football) 7.15pm

7 August v Hearts (A) 3pm

Blackpool

16 July v Tiverton Town (A) 7.30pm

20 July v Accrington Stanley (A) 7.30pm

22 July v Kilmarnock (A) 8pm

27 July v Crewe Alexandra (A) 7.30pm

31 July v Bristol City (A) 3pm

Bolton Wanderers

14 July v Charlotte Eagles (A) TBC

17 July v Charleon Battery (A) TBC

17 July v Bamber Bridge (A) 3pm

21 July v Toronto FC (A) TBC

23 July v Chorley (A) 7.30pm

24 July v Rochdale (A) 3pm

27 July v Curzon Ashton (A) 7.45pm

28 July v Morecambe (A) 7.45pm

30 July v Fleetwood Town (A) 7.45pm

31 July v Falkirk (A) 3pm

2 August v Johnstone (A) 7.45pm

4 August v AFC Fylde (A) 7.45pm

6 August v Osasuna (H) TBC

7 August v Barrow (A) 3pm

Chelsea

17 July v Crystal Palace (A) 3pm

23 July v Ajax (A) 8pm

1 August v Eintracht Frankfurt (A) 3pm

4 August v Hamburg (A) 8pm

Everton

10 July v Sydney FC (A) 7.30pm

14 July v Melbourne Heart (A) 7.30pm

17 July v Brisbane Roar (A) 7.30pm

24 July v Preston North End (A) 3pm

31 July v Norwich City (A) 3pm

4 August v Everton Chile (H) 8pm

7 August v Wolfsburg (A) 4pm

Fulham

14 July v Brentford (A) 8pm

17 July v Bournemouth (A) 3pm

31 July v Portsmouth (A) 3pm

Liverpool

17 July v Al Hilal (A) 6pm

21 July v Grasshopper (A) 6.30pm

24 July v Kaiserslautern (A) TBC

1 August v Borussia Mönchengladbach (A) 1.30pm

Manchester City

23rd July v Sporting Lisbon (A, New York Football Challenge) 8pm

25 July v New York Red Bulls (A, New York Football Challenge) 3pm

28 July v Club America (A) 8pm

31 July v Internazionale (A) 8pm

4 August v Borussia Dortmund (A) 8pm

Manchester United

16 July v Celtic (N) TBC

21 July v Philadelphia Union (A) 7.30pm

25 July v Kansas City Wizards (A) 5pm

28 July v MLS All-Stars (N) 6pm

4 August v League of Ireland XI (N) TBC

Newcastle United

17 July v Carlisle United (A) TBC

24 July v Norwich City (A) 3pm

31 July v PSV Eindhoven (H) TBC

7 August v Rangers (A) TBC

Stoke City

22 July v Nantwich Town (A) 7pm

22 July v Notts County (A) 7.45pm

24 July v Newcastle Town (A) 2.30pm

27 July v Derby County (A) 7.45pm

31 July v Burnley (H) 3pm

3 August v Bristol Rovers (A) 7.45pm

6 August v Wrexham (A) 7.45pm

Sunderland

17 July v Darlington (A) 3pm

Tottenham Hotspur

10 July v Bournemouth (A) 3pm

17 July v San Jose Earquakes (A) TBC

29 July v Villarreal (H) 8pm

3 August v Benfica (A) 7.45pm

7 August v Fiorentina (H) 3pm

West Bromwich Albion

20 July v Crewe Alexandra (A) 7.30pm

24 July v Bristol Rovers (A) 3pm

West Ham United

24 July v Burton Albion (A) 3pm

Wigan Athletic

20 July v Oldham (A) 7.45pm

4 August v Real Zaragoza (H) 7.45pm

8 August v Dundee United (A) 3pm

Wolverhampton Wanderers

17 July v Bohemians (A) 3pm

20 July v Walsall (A) 7.45pm

24 July v Charleroi (A) TBC

27 July v Reading (A) 8pm

30 July v Cheltenham Town (A) 7.45pm

31 July v Leeds United (A) 3pm

3 August v Hearts (A) 7pm

7 August v Athletic Bilbao (H) 3pm

Premier LeagueArsenalAston VillaBirmingham CityBlackburn RoversBlackpoolBolton WanderersChelseaEvertonFulhamLiverpoolManchester CityManchester UnitedNewcastle UnitedStoke CitySunderlandTottenham HotspurWest BromWest Ham UnitedWigan AthleticWolverhampton Wanderersguardian.co.uk

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