West Ham Exclusive: Shocking Paqueta Ban Schedule Revealed

Claret & Hugh have this morning learnt the full extent and timeline of Lucas Paqueta’s imminent FA hearing for betting charges, and it isn’t good news.

We spoke to a top source at the London Stadium to clarify recent rumours that the hearing was happening in March. However, during the exchange, we got more than we bargained for as the West Ham insider laid out the full schedule, including when any ban could be imposed.

C&H were told: “The hearing starts around March 20th and lasts for two weeks. Then they’ll [The FA] make a decision. If found guilty, they may take a few weeks to decide on the punishment.”

Astonishing stuff, and what it actually means could send shockwaves through West Ham, with our prized playmaker likely to be either acquitted or banned before the end of April.

In real terms, and in a worst-case scenario, it could mean a lifetime ban for Hammers record signing Paqueta, but one would expect any such decision to be appealed.

C&H have been informed by West Ham that Paqueta has appointed his own legal team to represent him

Graham Potter must hand West Ham’s Chelsea recruit his debut – he could save the club millions

Chelsea used to call West Ham their feeder club but now the roles are being reversed and Graham Potter is the perfect man to make the most of it.

West Ham fans had to suffer the ignominy of seeing some of their crown jewels of a golden generation join Chelsea.

John Terry defected to Chelsea from West Ham as a 14-year-old.

Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Glenn Johnson followed him to Stamford Bridge for a paltry combined total of less than £30m too.

West Ham fans were constantly goaded by Chelsea fans over stealing away their homegrown stars as the west Londoners won everything in sight.

Things haven’t been so glorious for the Blues after those players left and the Roman Abramovich era ended.

West Ham got a measure of revenge by taking Declan Rice from the Chelsea scrapheap as a 14-year-old.

The Hammers gave the boyhood Chelsea fan the platform to become the player he is today.

Rice helped West Ham win their first trophy for 43 years and was then sold on for a £105m profit.

With the owners at Chelsea hoovering up player after player from all corners of the globe, Stamford Bridge is not the best place to be an emerging Academy player nowadays.

Ironically, though, West Ham will be once more thanks to their former manager Graham Potter.

One of Potter’s first acts on his return to football following his sacking at Chelsea was to declare West Ham’s Academy would play a fundamental role in his first team.

Role reversal as West Ham poach Chelsea starlets

True to his word, Potter started young left-back Ollie Scarles in his first match and he duly rewarded the manager by winning the man of the match award.

Scarles has been playing regularly ever since and started – and starred in – West Ham’s 1-0 win at Arsenal on Saturday.

Other Hammers Academy starlets have been involved in the first team squad and getting minutes too – including Lewis Orford.