Weekend football focus

West Ham v Newcastle

3pm Saturday, Upton Park
Tickets: £32 (£16 concs). Tel: 020 8548 2700
Last season: 3 (Hutchison, Di Canio, Kanoute) 0
Facts: West Ham are unbeaten in their last four games and have won their last four home matches against Newcastle. The Geordies have failed to win on the previous two occasions that Alan Shearer (suspended tomorrow) has been missing this season. Referee Jeff Winter has shown only two red cards in 17 games this season
Recommended pub: The Duke of Edinburgh (Green Street)
The signing of Lee Bowyer has caused some hysterical reaction but West Ham manager Glenn Roeder and his beleaguered club can't afford to worry themselves about that. Whatever your opinion of Bowyer the man, the fact remains that he is an exceptional midfielder who can help get the Hammers out of the deepening hole they have dug for themselves. Bowyer can't do it all himself, though. Roeder needs to sign a striker, whether it be Les Ferdinand or someone younger, otherwise things are not going to improve appreciably. Newcastle are fragile away from home but David James must try to avoid a hat-trick of cock-ups.
Verdict: BOWYER JUST THE TICKET

Bolton v Fulham

3pm Saturday, Reebok Stadium
Away ticket info: £25 (£1-£17 concs). Tel: 0870 442 1234
Last season: 0-0
Facts: Fulham have gone seven away games without a win. Last week's 3-1 win over Birmingham was only the second time Fulham goalkeeper Maik Taylor had finished on a winning side this season, including three games for Northern Ireland
Recommended pub: Middlebrook Tavern (Middlebrook Retail Park)
Fulham had better start picking up some Premiership points soon otherwise all the players will be wearing Sava's masks as disguises. Tomorrow's clash is particularly important because should Bolton emerge victorious they will be only a point behind Jean Tigana's ailing side. Fulham have the talent but they will have to be on their game. Michael Ricketts, wanted by Tottenham, seems to have emerged from the doldrums and, in form, can be a real handful.
Verdict: TORTURE FOR TIGANA

Chelsea v Charlton

3pm Saturday, Stamford Bridge
Tickets: Home tickets £30-£36 (£11-£20 concs). Tel: 020 7386 7799. Away tickets sold out
Last season: 0-1 (Lisbie)
Facts: Charlton are unbeaten in four away games and have won twice in a row at Stamford Bridge. Eidur Gudjohnsen, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Gianfranco Zola have scored one goal between them in Chelsea's last seven games
Recommended pub: Shed Sports Bar (Chelsea Village complex)
Call me old fashioned but I think Carlo Cudicini can count himself unfortunate to have been sent off against Middlesbrough last weekend. If Cudicini's knee made any contact with the head of Windass there would have been little damage, except possibly to the Chelsea keeper's knee-cap, but now the Italian faces a three-match ban while Windass the wind-up escaped with a yellow card. Carlo must forget that for a while and concentrate on keeping Charlton out tomorrow. Striker Jonatan Johansson, incidentally, looks a better striker when he is facing the wrong way, on the evidence of his two goals against Exeter.
Verdict: CARLO CHEERS UP

Tottenham v Everton

2pm Sunday, White Hart Lane - live on payperview TV
Tickets: Sold out
Last season: 1 (Ferdinand) 1 (Weir)
Facts: Spurs have lost three games in a row but they have gone seven games without a home defeat and haven't lost at White Hart Lane against Everton since 1986. Everton are without a win in their last five games
Recommended pub: Antwerp Arms (Church Road)
Not a good week for these two, with Everton being licked at Gay Meadow, so to speak, and Tottenham being slaughtered at St Mary's. Spurs must do better on Sunday but just turning up would probably be an improvement. Glenn Hoddle needs to freshen things up with a new face in the window while Steffen Freund seemed to think the team spirit wasn't up to much at Southampton last weekend, which won't have endeared him to either his manager or his team-mates. Everton will have to do without young Mr Rooney, who is suspended.
Verdict: TOO CLOSE TO CALL

Birmingham v Arsenal

4.05pm Sunday, St Andrews - live on Sky Sports 1
Away tickets: Sold out
Facts: Referee Steve Bennett has issued 81 yellow and five red cards in his 19 games this season. Arsenal won 1-0 on their last visit to St Andrews in May 1986. The Blues have drawn each of their last three home games 1-1
Recommended pub: Square Peg (Corporation Street, town centre)
Clinton Morrison must have been taking lessons in subtlety from John Prescott. Apparently, the Birmingham striker is reasonably happy in the Midlands but hankers after a move to a "big" club, say Arsenal, Liverpool or
Tottenham. Arsene Wenger will be beside himself with excitement at hearing that nugget but, Clinton, don't hold your breath, son. In fact, your mum and minder Angela has a better chance of joining one of those big three. Morrison should stick at it, though, and a couple of goals on Sunday, however unlikely, would do no harm.
Verdict: BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD, CLINTON

NATIONWIDE DIVISION 1

Millwall v Watford

3pm Saturday, The Den
Tickets: £16-£22 (£7-£12 concs). Available to members only. Tel: 020 7231 9999. Away tickets £15 (£10 concs). Tel: 01923 496 010
Last season: 1 (Claridge) 0
Facts: Millwall have gone seven games since keeping a clean sheet. Watford have lost just one of their last four matches at The Den but have gone five away league games without a win
Recommended pub: Bars in the ground
Sergei Baltacha, brother of British tennis's Great Female Hope Elena, is training at Millwall and manager Mark McGhee hopes the young defender will become an ace signing. McGhee's strikers could certainly do with improved service. The Lions have won just one of their last seven games, but should find the net against a faltering Watford.
Verdict: THREE MATCH-POINTS FOR MILLWALL

Bradford v Crystal Palace

3pm Saturday, Valley Parade
Away ticket info: £15 (£5-£9 concs). Tel: 020 8771 8841
Last season: 1 (Blake) 2 (Berhalter, Benjamin)
Facts: Palace, who are unbeaten in five games, have won four of their last six fixtures at Valley Parade. Bradford midfielder Andy Gray has scored four times in six games
Recommended pub: Oakleigh Hotel (Oak Avenue)
Any day now the property market is going to crash - no, honestly - and Bradford City could be its first victims. The Bantams may be forced to sell their ground after defaulting on a loan repayment and Valley Parade is not Craven Cottage. A buoyant Palace are without injured goalkeeper Alex Kolinko, but the Latvian will not be too disappointed. The last time these sides met he was on the wrong end of a Trevor Francis right-hander and the last thing he needs now is another injury.
Verdict: CITY CRASH