West Brom get Roy, West Ham get ground
Both West Brom and West Ham have been presented with reasons to be optimistic about a brighter future ahead of their high-stakes Premier League collision at The Hawthorns on Saturday.
West Brom have confirmed rumours that Roy Hodgson has been chosen as Roberto Di Matteo's successor, announcing the arrival of the former Fulham and Liverpool boss, who is of course the reigning LMA manager of the year, as head coach on a one-and-a-half year deal.
Meanwhile, West Ham have been informed that their bid to move into the Olympic Stadium in 2012 has been approved by the Olympic Park Legacy Company executives, with the east Londoners fending off competition from Tottenham to get the go ahead to make Stratford their home in what will now become a multi-purpose arena, retaining the running track.
David Gold, David Sullivan, Karren Brady and co must now wait for ratification from the OPLC board, two government departments and the mayor of London, although that is expected to be a formality.
Neither decision will have a major impact on this encounter between the two relegation-threatened teams besides potentially boosting morale though as the Baggies have revealed that caretaker Michael Appleton will stay in charge as planned against the Irons before making way for Hodgson.
The hosts' price to win the vital fixture has sunk below the evens mark following news of Hodgson's arrival despite the fact he won't be in the dugout. West Brom are [1.99] to triumph having got the better of recent meetings but West Ham can't be written off at [4.1] given their record of one loss in eight at The Hawthorns.
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Published: 11 Feb 2011
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