FOR SALE: Football team, East London area, buyer to collect. Contact Curbs for more details

Any Championship side looking for a half-decent team, or any budding entrepreneur looking to set up his own football club, might like to have a browse around the West Ham sales. Alan Curbishley is apparently preparing for summer clearout (aka "we're already resigned to relegation") and wants to move on 16 players.

If you believe the rumours this starting XI is up for grabs:

GK Roy Carroll
DR Lucas Neill
DL Paul Konchesky
DC Matthew Upson
DC Anton Ferdinand
MR Luis Boa Morte
MC Nigel Reo-Coker
ML Matthew Etherington
ST Carlos Tevez
ST Marlon Harewood
ST Dean Ashton

You might think signing an entire (probably) relegated team would be a bit of a gamble, but apparently a fondness for a flutter is the reason Curbs wants to move on some of these players. A gambling culture at Upton Park - which has seen players lose tens of thousands of pounds to each other in card games - has been highlighted by the West Ham boss as one reason for lack of team spirit at the club.

As for the 'For Sale XI', I don't think too many sides would turn their noses up at Neill, Boa Morte or Tevez. What do you reckon?

[Rob Parker]