DON’T LET IT ALL END THIS WAY, WEST HAM
COACH WHO NURTURED RIO, LAMPS AND CARRICK IN PLEA TO CLUB OVER ‘PALTRY’ PAY-OFF
FORMER West Ham academy director Tony Carr wants to heal the rift between him and the club he served faithfully for more than four decades.
West Ham fans are incensed by news today that Carr, who helped develop players worth £50million in sell-on value over 43 years, said he has been offered the minimum statutory redundancy payment of £14,000 after being told his role as a club ambassador was no longer full-time.
Carr, a player at West Ham before injury cut short his career, has been instrumental in producing a blue-chip list of players, including Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Glen Johnson, Jermain Defoe, Michael Carrick and Joe Cole.
“I don’t want things to end this way but the facts are as presented today,” said the 65-year-old. “West Ham have been a way of life more than a job for me for more than 40 years and the last thing I want is to feel bitter about how things have ended.
“Yes, I did think that the offer made to me by the club was paltry but hopefully we can talk about this. I feel I have a lot more to offer the club.”
Carr left his job as academy director in 2014 to be replaced by Terry Westley, who worked under West Ham owners David Sullivan and David Gold at Birmingham. Carr was awarded an MBE in 2010 for services to football and granted a testimonial by the club a year earlier.
He played a major role in the development of central defender James Tomkins, who was sold to Crystal Palace for £10m this summer and Reece Oxford, who has been valued at £18m by West Ham following interest by clubs, including Manchester United.
Fans went online to spell out their anger and a group of supporters last night launched a crowd-funding appeal to match the £14,000 offered by the Hammers.
The club were this morning preparing a statement but it is thought there could be room for further discussion.