West Ham’s bright start to the season has impressed many so far, including a man who could have ended up as the club‘s chairman.
Tony Cottee is more widely known as a prolific striker for West Ham (above), scoring 115 goals in 279 league games for the club as well as finding the net regularly for Everton and Leicester.
Back in 2005 Cottee, now 47, began building a consortium which he hoped would take over the Upton Park club and lead it to better times.
In the end, Cottee’s efforts ended when he lost out to the ill-fated Icelandic takeover. Cottee’s bid to help buy the club he loved is chronicled in his new book — Tony Cottee: West Ham The Inside Story.
“I don’t regret what I did,” he says. “The people who were interested in forming our consortium were bankers and financial experts but I felt I could add some valuable football input.”
Cottee has been suitably impressed with his club’s start to this season.
“I’m not surprised we are well clear of relegation,” he says. “Sam Allardyce has some good players in his squad — Kevin Nolan, Mark Noble, Winston Reid, James Tomkins — and a good, experienced goalkeeper in Jussi Jaaskelainen. Winston has especially come on by leaps and bounds although I could see he was a good player when he appeared for New Zealand in the last World Cup. He’s been terrific this season.
“We’ve also got a very good manager now and Sam has turned things around in a short time.
“Sam hasn’t been offered a new contract yet although his present deal is up at the end of the season. Things can be sorted out after Christmas but the club needs stability.
“I would love to be back at West Ham in some capacity. It’s not quite happened but it’s still a possibility.”
Tony Cottee: West Ham The Inside Story available from www.ex-hammers.com, price £14.99
