Anti-Geordie email read live on TV

When Kevin Keegan’s position at Newcastle looked to be under threat, hundreds of faithful Magpies turned out at St James’ Park to voice their concerns. No such thing happened at Upton Park when Curbs made an impromptu exit yesterday, and a Hammers fan was quick to suggest a socioeconomic reason for this to the people at Sky Sports News. The embarrassed presenter clearly regrets reading out the email as soon it leaves his lips…

Curbs lives up to the bookies expectations

After nearly two years of loyal service as manager at Upton Park, Llewellyn Charles Curbishley has today parted company with the club who launched his playing career back in the seventies.

Much like Kevin Keegan, he is said to have been unhappy with the clubs transfer policy, and was tipped over the edge by the eleventh hour sale of George Paul Ringo McCartney to Sunderland on Monday evening.

So who should step into his shoes? Votes and comments below please, folks….

Sam Allardyce 4/1 favourite to take over

Alan Curbishley has stolen Kevin Keegan’s thunder and won the sack race by walking out of West Ham after getting fed-up with players being sold over his head, most notably George McCartney on deadline day.

Reports claim that Curbishley believes the club’s board have been undermining him and that he has only been keeping the manager’s seat in the dugout warm until Croatia boss Slaven Bilic is available.

The former Charlton boss failed to win over a vocal section of the West Ham support but a poll held on the forum of West Ham fansite Knees Up Mother Brown in the last 24 hours saw Curbishley garner a 87% approval rating.

Sam Allardyce is 4/1 favourite with Sky Bet to take over, while Bilic is close behind at 5/1.

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Shouty people in crowd make man sad…

We’re used to seeing Chelsea, Spurs and Newcastle fans sharpening their knives, taking their tops off and turning on their managers at the drop of a hat, but West Ham fans always seemed a bit more tolerant.

Their conga when 3-0 down at Manchester City showed a decent sense of humour and lack of ego, but last night you’d be forgiven for thinking they were cheering on Macclesfield, such was the venom they directed at their own players and manager.

Today’s transfer rumours, gossip and damned lies

It’s being reported in today’s Guardian that Chelsea and Real Madrid have agreed a fee of £28.6 million for Robinho. Considering the Brazilian has already stated his desire to join the Blues, we could find ourselves in the unusual situation of actually a seeing a transfer follow weeks of speculation -  eat your heart out Ronaldo, Lampard, Adebayor and Barry sagas!

Shaun Wright-Phillips is spoilt for choice
It looks like Chelsea’s unloved winger is ready to follow the Robinho example, too. For a long time, Portsmouth were favourites to sign Wright-Phillips but then they realised they had no money, so it’s either Everton or Manchester City who will welcome SWP into their family.

The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: Both represent good career moves but his glorious Manchester City past may see him lean towards them

Roman Pavlyuchenko to Spurs
It’s no secret that Spurs are in

Today’s gossip, rumours and damned lies

While Manchester City have saved themselves a tidy sum of money by avoiding Ronaldinho, Chelsea appear to have finally folded their hand in regards to costly bench warmer Andriy Shevchenko. The Ukrainian is on the verge of being adored at AC Milan once again, as the Blues plan to shift him out on loan. They are so desperate to free up his place on the team coach that they will continue to pay his £130,000 a week wages in full.

Roque Santa Cruz to Aston Villa
Manchester City have tried and failed to prize Santa Cruz from Paul Ince, and now it seems that it’s Aston Villa’s turn to try their luck. Villa have reportedly launched a £16m bid for the Paraguayan in the hope that Blackburn will suddenly decide that selling their best striker

Fans incapacitated with silly string, according to picture below

In preparation for Thursday’s match against the MLS all-stars, West Ham somehow found themselves in Columbus, Ohio for a friendly against The Crew. Things were going well yesterday, until shortly after half time, when Hammers fans decided to unfurl a banner reading “ICF [Inner City Firm], 30 Years Undefeated.” Then it all done gone kicked off man:

A halftime brawl between more than 100 fans marred an exhibition match Sunday between West Ham United of the English Premier League club and the MLS’ Columbus Crew.

The fights, which overshadowed West Ham United’s 3-1 win, began when a handful of West Ham supporters, some wearing the team’s claret and blue colors, entered the northeast corner of the stadium where the Crew’s most boisterous supporters typically gather.

Crew supporters began directing chants toward the rival fans, and fights quickly broke out between more than 100 Crew fans and at least 30 West Ham fans. Columbus police officers and Crew Stadium security staff eventually separated the groups.

At first glance, it looks as if East London’s finest have been mixin’ it up with their fists in the Midwest without just cause. However it seems that most Americans’ impression of the club has been gained from Green Street, and they were hellbent on goading them for it. A Big Soccer blogger writes:

 ”HSH (Harley Street Hooligans) wanted a fight. They had a banner saying “where’s Elijah Wood?” They

West Ham boss could be granted the first P45 of the season

Every season, punters stake a significant amount on the first managerial sacking, but in the opast few years, the bookies have been clearing up. Who could have seen bumbling clowns Sammy Lee and Chris Hutchings outlasting two-time Premier League winner Jose Mourinho? And the year before did anyone really see Charlton, having stood by Alan Curbishley for 15 years, sacking Iain Dowie just three months into the season? Curbishley is the unlucky favourite this year (5/1, bet here), but in preparation for a big shock, chickendinner have surveyed all of the sack race contenders…

Alan Curbishley

» West Ham’s last two managers - Glenn Roeder and Alan Pardew - were both sacked in the first half of the season.

» Glenn Roeder was sacked after just two games in his third season in charge in 2003. This will be Curbishley’s third season at West Ham.

» However, West Ham have only had eleven full-time managers in their 113-year history - no other Premier League club has had fewer.

» Three managers have left West Ham while they were a Premier League club - Billy Bonds, Harry Redknapp and Alan Pardew - but of those only Pardew was removed in the middle of a season.

Kevin Keegan

» All seven full-time Newcastle Premier League managers have left in the middle of the season.

» Newcastle have ridiculously sacked three managers in August over the last past ten years - Dalglish, Gullit and Robson - winning the sack race on each occasion.

» Keegan has a track record for resigning mid-campaign. He left the England job in the middle of qualifying for the 2002 World Cup and he left both Newcastle and Man City mid-season.

» But Keegan has never spent less than a year at a club, which would mean staying on until January 16. By that point last season, eight managers had left their club.

Gary Megson

» Megson is the only of the five

With the title race metaphorically hanging in the metaphorical balance, certain quotes from the West Ham boss will have Chelsea’s supporters gnawing their knuckles with rage. Here’s the pick of the bunch:

“It would be a great injustice if Manchester United were to lose the Premier League title.”

“I would raise a glass if United win the title. It would be, of course, a toast to Alex Ferguson, the best there is, and may ever be.”

And on the subject of Ferguson:

“He is Mr Amazing. Want to hold a general knowledge quiz? He’ll win it. Looking for the answer to a crossword clue? He’ll provide it. Want some advice about a player or a situation? He’ll return the call, be it from another Premier League manager or one in League Two.”