Tony Carr's Testimonial - Old Skool Pete 's Poser.

If ever a guy has deserved a testimonial, it is Tony Carr. On the mordant org, Old Skool has invited suggestions for who should play in the game. My vote is for a team of Carr's "Home Made Hammers" against a team of "Claret and Blue Mercenaries" selected from players currently playing the game.

If that was the format, who would figure in the two strongest teams? Well some names are obvious. Assuming everybody is fit, Carr's Academy Products would include Lampard, both Ferdinands (Anton is ahead of Tomkins), Johnson, Cole, Carrick and Collison for sure. The Mercenaries would have to include Tevez, (without a Third Party Agreement!), Upson, Parker, Defoe (we bought / stole him from Charlton), Ashton or Kanoute, Green or James, Ilunga, Collins, Behrami, Yossi and Reo-Choker. Have I forgotten any of the obvious candidates?

What the two lists throw up is the paucity of our "home grown" strikers and keepers. There has been no "made in West Ham" forward of real note since Cottee. And before him, is Hurst really the next down the line? There's Clyde Best I suppose but I'm scratching my head trying to think of another! Slater wasn't all that at the end of the day was he? As for the guy between the sticks, Bywater was not off the Carr conveyor belt; in fact apart from Finn, Mervyn Fat Man Day is the only one I can think of. Does Stech count? I think we bought him didn't we? Left back is another weak area!

The Mercenaries should logically be managed by Redknapp but as a Tottenham managing, Arsenal supporting West Ham man, I think he would have to be given the Academy boys ; Curbishley or Zola could manage the Buy-ins. To give him a role, Pardew could be brought back to keep the players' wives entertained! If a clown was needed for the half time entertainment, we could put a call through to Roeder!

So, three questions. First, who would make up the balance of the two teams? Second who would play where? And third, which team would win the game?