Spotted above the DW Stadium this afternoon, at around the time Grant's Irons were spunking a 2-0 lead at Wigan. The Latics went on to win 3-2 and send West Ham down to the Championship. Uncle Avram is Mister Relegation. At least now Carlton Cole will get to play at the appropriate level. View the [.

Avram Grant remains confident his West Ham side can survive, but it is starting to feel a distant dream for the fans. Currently bottom of the table with four games left, West Ham surely have to get something from a tough game against Manchester City Sunday. Whether they get a result or not though, it does look as the race for survival is going down to the last game of the season, and it may even be goal difference which sees a team relegated to the Championship division.

In a bit of an upset, Scott Parker became the first West Ham United player since Booby Moore to be voted Footballer of the Year in 1962/64. Parker, whose Hammers team are in a relegation battle was voted 2011 Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers' Association.

What makes Parker's award even more impressive is that West Ham have been really poor this season, and the head into their last five games of the campaign one place off the bottom of the table.

Aston Villa and West Ham United are leading the chase to buy Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole.
The 29-year-old moved to Anfield on a free transfer last summer but has struggled to adapt to life on Merseyside.
He has suffered injuries and a drop in form meaning he has not established himself in the starting line-up.

Scotty Parker was one of the reason for West Ham staying up last season. Parker's goal against Wigan last season was the highlight of a personal desire to keep the Irons in the Premiership.
The other reason West Ham managed to stay up last season was because they won more points against fellow relegation strugglers.

While Tottenham Hotspur readies for the resumption of European nights, West Ham United drowns deep in the relegation zone. But West Ham have at least trumped Tottenham's bid for London's Olympic Stadium after the Olympic Park Legacy Company'sunanimous decision Friday. The Hammers' bid, led by their brain trust of David Gold, David Sullivan and Karren Brady, was more conservative and likely won because their bid promises to maintain the athletics track.

By Ollie Irish

Oy, it's just my size!

West Ham have announced they plan to retain manager Avram Grant – in the short-term at least – after months of speculation over his future.

The Irons put out a statement in Grant's favour this morning insisting they were standing by their current gaffer, despite the club lying bottom of the Prem with just four wins in their first 20 matches.

By Ollie Irish

Avram Grant was in fighting mood for once after West Ham's slightly jammy win against Birmingham in the first leg of their Carling Cup semi-final. Speculation that Grant is not long for Upton Park is still rife, prompting Grant to counter: "We're one point from Wigan, Fulham and other teams but with them everything is quiet.

Better. Possibly.
We all remember the YouTube greatness of one Cristian Castillo, don't we? Assuming Brasesco pans out (though that's a mighty big assumption considering our recent forays south of the border), we've at least got some reasonable depth at the back if we include the recent addition of Daniel Woolard and the signing of Ethan White to a homegrown contract.

Three days of Scottish Cup action to look forward to. Much talk of "cupsets" but probably not many actual upsets. And, I'd wager, a mention or two for Berwick Rangers, the most famous of Davids in Scottish football's gallery of Goliath-slayers.
Pitch inspections at a few of these games and snow falling as I write so things could be subject to change.