Hammers boss Roeder remains stable

WEST HAM manager Glenn Roeder remained in a stable condition at Royal London Hospital last night.

The Hammers boss was admitted on Monday night after collapsing following his side's 1-0 win over Middlesbrough.

Medical staff at the hospital in Whitechapel are still trying to ascertain the reason for Roeder's collapse, although it was announced last night that there was a blockage in a minor blood vessel on his brain.

A statement issued jointly by the club and hospital staff tonight read: "Following the statement given at 8pm on Tuesday, Mr Glenn Roeder remains in a stable condition and has had a satisfactory day.

"Doctors are continuing with their investigations.

"The Roeder family would like to thank people for their support and appreciate that people are concerned about Glenn's condition.

"They are grateful that their privacy has been respected. Further statements will be issued when appropriate."

The Football Association's acting technical director Les Reed insisted today it was too soon to blame Roeder's illness on the stresses of management.

Reed said: "I suffered a form of brain haemorrhage while I was at Charlton.

"At the time, there was a lot of press speculation that it could have been linked to the job I did it seemed to be an automatic assumption.

"But the medical advice that I was given was the complete opposite.

"The specialist told me that there was no link at all between the condition I suffered and being a football coach.

"It can happen to anyone at any time from any walk of life they told me and that's why I could return to my job. There is no proven medical link between stress and conditions such as the one that I was treated for."