West Ham United Preview

By Mark Heys
August 26 2005

Bolton Wanderers will be hoping to build on their midweek win against Newcastle United tommorow afternoon as they face newly promoted West Ham United at Upton Park.

It won't be an easy game for the Trotters as Alan Pardew's side are as yet unbeaten since returning to the top division following a two-year exile which saw them relegated at the expense of the Wanderers in 2003.

A lot of water has passed under the bridge since those days as the Hammers are now under a new manager and have very few of the players who played during their last stint in the top league remaining.

The Wanderers have a record of never having won a Premiership game in East End London with the Hammers winning three out of the last four matches at Upton Park.

Bolton manager Sam Allardyce welcomes back Bruno N'Gotty from suspension for this game and he will immediately return to the side in place of hamstring victim Radhi Jaidi.

Centre forward Henrik Pedersen may once again be used in the left-wing back role should Ricardo Gardner fail to reach full fitness for the trip down to the capital.

Mexican striker Jared Borgetti may once again be on the bench following his two minute cameo appearance against Newcastle United on Wednesday evening but other new signing Hidetoshi Nakata is still being kept on the sidelines.

Hammers boss Alan Pardew may hand a West Ham debut to Jeremie Aliadere after the young Frenchman cut short a loan stint with Celtic to join the Hammers from Arsenal.

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Roy Carroll should be fit despite a recent back injury and Paul Konchesky is also available for the tie having had his recent red card against Newcastle overturned

PREMIERSHIP RECORD

18/11/1995 BOLTON WANDERERS 0 WEST HAM UNITED 3 (Bishop, Cottee, Williamson)

13/04/1996 WEST HAM UNITED 1 (Cottee) BOLTON WANDERERS 0

18/10/1997 WEST HAM UNITED 3 (Berkovic, Hartson 2) BOLTON WANDERERS 0

21/02/1998 BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Blake) WEST HAM UNITED 1 (Sinclair)

09/02/2002 BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Gardner) WEST HAM UNITED 0

11/05/2002 WEST HAM UNITED 2 (Lomas, Pearce) BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Djorkaeff)

21/12/2002 WEST HAM UNITED 1 (Pearce) BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Ricketts)

19/04/2003 BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Okocha) WEST HAM UNITED 0

PREMIERSHIP FORM GUIDE:

Played: 8

Won: 2

Drawn: 2

Lost: 4

CONNECTIONS

Steve Banks, Franz Carr, David Cross, Les Ferdinand, Harry Kinsell

IT HAPPENED WHEN BOLTON PLAYED WEST HAM

Bolton have never won at Upton Park in the Premiership with West Ham winning three of the last four matches. The last meeting ending in a 1-1 draw in December 2002

When West Ham defeated Bolton in November 1995 there where furious demonstrations after the game by supporters calling for the departure of manager Roy McFarland.

The last meeting between these two clubs was bitter to say the least as both Joe Cole and Rufus Brevett lashed out at their Bolton counterparts following the sending off of teammate Ian Pearce for a foul on Pierre-Yves Andre, none of these players are still at the respective clubs.