Sunday 10 February

Aston Villa

Versus

West Ham United

Monday 25 February

West Ham United

Versus

Tottenham

Saturday 2 March

Stoke City

Versus

West Ham United

Sunday 17 March

Chelsea

Versus

West Ham United

Saturday 30 March

West Ham United

Versus

West Bromwich Albion

Sunday 7 April

Liverpool

Versus

West Ham United

Saturday 13 April

Southampton

Versus

West Ham United

Wednesday 17 April

West Ham United

Versus

Manchester United

Saturday 20 April

West Ham United

Versus

Wigan Athletic

Saturday 27 April

Manchester City

Versus

West Ham United

(Supporters should note that if either Man Utd or Arsenal are in the UEFA Champions League semi-final the following Tuesday 30 April, this match will be moved to Sunday 28 April 2013 with a UK KO at 4pm)

Saturday 4 May

West Ham United

Versus

Newcastle United

Sunday 12 May

Everton

Versus

West Ham United

Sunday 19 May

West Ham United

Versus

Reading

The Official Australian Hammers Supporters site.

We are in regular contact with over 5,000 OzHammers and our principal aim is to ensure that all Hammers fans can meet to cheer on the Hammers whenever our matches are broadcast.

WHU UK NEWS: Click here to get the daily West Ham United Digest, a must for any supporter!

22nd August 2012

The new season is upon us and my principal emotion is relief rather than naked excitement. Recent comments by the co-owners noting that we still owe Sheffield Utd an "8 figure sum" for the Tevez Affair and the fact that this is hampering our transfer market activity makes stark reading. Clearly the prospect of a long stay in the lower leagues was a reality if we didn't bounce straight back up! Or worse?

The Aston Villa result was so welcome and I think there was significant relief all round in the WHU Board room. A strong start is so important even at the cost of an ugly first up win.

Here's to another 14 wins, 45 points and safety.

Hopefully there are more new comers to join our team and with another central defender, a winger and striker and we should then have enough talent to make a good fist of this first season back. I think we may struggle and we would do very well indeed to make it into the top 10. These first few matches will probably tell the tale.

I am not going to provide an extensive review of the off season as I have previously noted that there is now considerable online commentary both local and international.

Access to Upton Park Tickets

I continue to receive a substantial number of requests from OzHammers seeking advice on how to purchase tickets to West Ham matches at Upton Park. On our TICKETS PAGE I have set out below the 'official' mechanism and process through which OzHammers may book tickets. Remember that you must be a Member to book online and you may join up HERE.

The best current advice is to contact friends and family who are Season Ticket Holders in the UK and ask them to either use or upgrade their family season tickets for your use or ask them to purchase tickets on your behalf. Season Ticket (and Bond) holders get preferential access to Upton Park tickets AND precious Away allocations.

Given our return to the Premier League, access to tickets this season will be far harder than in 2011-12 and Away tickets on General Sale to Members will be very rare indeed.

Tickets to Home matches against Arsenal, Manchester City & United, Chelsea, Tottenham and probably Liverpool will basically be impossible without the help of a local Season Ticket or Bond holder. Of course, there are always Corporate tickets but these come at a premium.

Having said that, there were tickets available on the day to our first home game on 18 August 2012 against Aston Villa, a very surprising occurrence. I suggest that there were an unusual high number of "holidaying hammers" absent from Upton Park and therefore reduced demand after the Olympics?

A WHU International Supporters' Club & Tickets

I have been asked by The Club to make recommendations on special ticketing for potential members of a proposed International Supporters Club. At this stage such a body does not exist although of course it should! I have attempted this many times and have provided various levels of advice FOR YEARS and that advice continues to fall on deaf ears.

As I have been asked again to contribute to the plan I have done so and here is what I have recommended:

1. Set aside no more than 10 tickets to each Home match;

2. Permit these 10 tickets to be accessed by International Hammers Fans;

3. As a condition precedent to the right to purchase a ticket, each NAMED ticket purchaser must become a member of The Academy, International Supporter Club or other similar programme. This condition precedent ensures that West Ham United can build its database of committed international fans and also ensures that WHU retains contact details of attendees, one of the key a requirements of both the Football League and the Premier League. Membership of the programme is by way of subscription for an annual fee;

4. As international visitors by definition will plan their potential visit to Upton Park well in advance, booking and payments for these tickets must be made not less than 21 days before the relevant match. Therefore, any unsold 'international' tickets could be made available to WHU season ticket holders in the usual manner. This ensures that season ticket holders are not disadvantaged.

5. Further, the publication of such availability can have the effect of INCREASING sales of general admission tickets so as to ensure that Upton Park is always completely filled. For other than the Tier One matches against clubs such as Manchester Utd, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool, this offering could be expanded to fill the stadium for every match.

International visitors can plan in advance in the comfort of the knowledge that they have access to a ticket to see their beloved team. Additional promotion to these high value fans is beneficial to WHU and the club should, with appropriate marketing, deliver financial benefits to the club on a regular basis that are significant given the limited opportunity of these fans to enjoy even an annual Upton Park experience.

I ask ALL International Fans to copy my recommendations and email these to HammersWorldWide requesting that my system be adopted as we will all benefit!

OzHammers Gatherings

OzHammers continue to gather in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane on a regular basis so stay in touch with their FaceBook pages for advice on meeting times. Match times will remain current on this web site and any special news will appear as it happens!

Best of luck and

COYI

DPL

David P. Lewis |Entrepreneur in Residence
AFG Venture Group

UK Mobile: + 44 (0) 7885 772209 | AUSTRALIAN Mobile: + 61 (0) 412 117 322 |
SYDNEY Tel: + 61 2 9258 7810 | SYDNEY  Fax: + 61 2 9247 4838
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