This first of a two-part article on England and the West Ham connection that originally appeared on my 2010 England World Cup blog. Apologies to anyone who read it there, but I know many England supporters stopped visiting after England limped out in disarray and, of course, many West Ham fans aren't neccessarily supporters of the English national side, so I make no apologies for re-running it on the West Ham page as, following David Sullivan's comments to Soccernet (Here), the appointment of Avram Grant and a raft of foreign signings, I think it as relevant to supporters of the Hammers as much as 'Team England'.

This first of a two-part article on England and the West Ham connection that originally appeared on my 2010 England World Cup blog. Apologies to anyone who read it there, but I know many England supporters stopped visiting after England limped out in disarray and, of course, many West Ham fans aren't neccessarily supporters of the English national side, so I make no apologies for re-running it on the West Ham page as, following David Sullivan's comments to Soccernet (Here), the appointment of Avram Grant and a raft of foreign signings, I think it as relevant to supporters of the Hammers as much as 'Team England'.