West Ham United

Rocker

On Saturday I admit to feeling sympathy for WHU FC due to the reactions and actions of a number of their fans at their home match -v- Burnley. Fans protesting against the club owners, manager, player buying or selling etc are frequent and understandable. Fans want their club to be successful, success means different things to different people but relegation from the division is a failure. Failure by a number of people in the club. Promotion from the lower division is not won easily either so it is understandable if fans react to the possibility of relegation.

Fans running on to the field or gathering in menacing groups close to the directors box only cause further problems for the club. This is not helping the club or supporting the team. Any repercussions could be serious for WHU. Saturday's actions by a minority of supporters did not make things any better. For the club or the team.

axisus

Pretty ugly scenes. Someone threw a coin at Owner Sullivan, that's an absolute disgrace. And to my mind anyone who invades a pitch should get a lengthy ban. 

I just don't know who would want to be a football club owner. It's a pretty thankless position unless you are a billionaire with money to burn.

If West Ham want to stay up then the fans need to back their team and help make it happen. 

jpttaylor

There's blame on both sides - it's a long story with a lot of factors. No one condones violence, pitch invasions etc. but fans are entitled to protest, especially against a board that has repeatedly failed to engage them in any meaningful way.

I was there on Saturday, in the section above the director's box, and left about 10 minutes after it all started kicking off. Regardless of the fact it was the 25th anniversary of Bobby Moore's death, it was harrowing to see.

I'll still go to games, regardless of what division the club are in, but for the good of the team, the fans need to keep the protests away from the next few games. The Southampton game in a few weeks is massive for the PL survival effort. Regardless of where you stand in the debate, the club being relegated would be devastating.

munckee

On match of the day they showed kids that subs on the burnley bench had let sit there to be in a safer place, kudos to the Burnley staff.

I'm a Pompey fan, we've had owners as bad as they come, never seen anything like that though.  I have total sympathy for all the west ham fans though, except for those pushing stewards throwing coins and scaring kids.

57Deluxe

the pitch is too big for them...

scrumhalf

There is no excude for the behaviour we saw. If you care that much about your club that you feel compelled to behave in that way then you have invested way too much of your life into something over which you have no control or influence and will never have control or influence. You are at fault.

Brize

I feel sorry for the fans but West Ham are finished. The owners ripped the heart out of the club when they moved it from Upton Park and there's (literally) no going back. The London Stadium is a joke and will never feel like home.

The only way out of this mess is for the club to build a new stadium they can call their own where they can recreate the atmosphere of Upton Park. Whatever you say about West Ham, their supporters are proper old-school fans and they deserve better than the porn barons and the self-promoting 'Lady Brady'.

TheBigDipper

The top tier of English football is about money. No more, no less. It’s heart has been ripped out. The best thing West Ham fans can do is to start watching Orient and cancel their Sky Sports subscriptions so they're voting with their money. 

West Ham sold the Boleyn ground - a prime residential site -  and are only renting (at well below market rate, subsidised by public money , but that's another story) London Stadium. What happened to the money? 

MrBump

I did a mini pitch invasion a few years back when Southend got promoted to League 1.  Not quite on the same level as the West Ham one at the weekend...

I've been to see them play at the London Stadium - I have to say, it didn't feel like a "nice" environment.  There was a heavy feeling of threat all around - lots of the old boy were clearly unhappy about their new surroundings.  

There's something not quite right with the club at the moment, I think.

strumjoughlamps

Felt sorry for Brooking

jpttaylor

TheBigDipper said:

The top tier of English football is about money. No more, no less. It’s heart has been ripped out. The best thing West Ham fans can do is to start watching Orient and cancel their Sky Sports subscriptions so they're voting with their money. 

West Ham sold the Boleyn ground - a prime residential site -  and are only renting (at well below market rate, subsidised by public money , but that's another story) London Stadium. What happened to the money? 

If you believe the accounts, released a few weeks ago, they made an £8 million profit from the sale of Upton Park. The site was valued at around £30 million, and the deal from Galliard was worth £20 million. The same club where its chairman charge above average interest rates, and pay its CEO upwards of £800k a year for doing a sub-standard job.

usedtobe

Watched motd for the first time in a very long time. Shocking scenes. No excuse for that. None whatsoever!

Bellycaster

scrumhalf said:

There is no excude for the behaviour we saw. If you care that much about your club that you feel compelled to behave in that way then you have invested way too much of your life into something over which you have no control or influence and will never have control or influence. You are at fault.

This ^ Exactly. I mean, why would people keep throwing their hard earned money at something that's pissing them off so much? What does it take to make the Penny drop? Stop feeding it and it will die, they should get another hobby, take up Guitar and go buy a Gibson and support them, that's a cause really worth fighting for.........


Hang on, it's getting silly now.

Garthy

jpttaylor said:

There's blame on both sides - it's a long story with a lot of factors. No one condones violence, pitch invasions etc. but fans are entitled to protest, especially against a board that has repeatedly failed to engage them in any meaningful way.

How are you entitled to anything? Metallica fans didn't storm HMV when Jason was forced out, Mclaren fans didn't arrange their floor tiles in a haphazard way when they went to shit for three seasons with a GP2 engine and Game of Throne's fans didn't storm HBO's offices because Season 7 was fucking dire.

Legionreturns

As some wag said on the radio on Saturday; kudos to the stamina of the fans that got on the pitch...it's a bloody long way from the stands!

RobDavies

Put simply, if they'd won three more games, they'd be tenth in the table and no one would be protesting. 
The stadium thing is an excuse to kick off because the team is not very good.   There seems to be a sense of self entitlement about a West Ham and Arsenal fans this season - a divine right to be successful, if you like. Must be tough being in the Premiership, getting £120m a year for winning fuck all and in West Ham's case, being given a free billion pound stadium. 
Try being a Stockport County fan, or Tranmere Rovers perhaps.  Two clubs who were in the equivalent of the championship not that long ago - now wallowing in non league obscurity.  If anyone has a right to demonstrate at how their club is run, it's them. 

jpttaylor

Garthy said:

jpttaylor said:

There's blame on both sides - it's a long story with a lot of factors. No one condones violence, pitch invasions etc. but fans are entitled to protest, especially against a board that has repeatedly failed to engage them in any meaningful way.

How are you entitled to anything? Metallica fans didn't storm HMV when Jason was forced out, Mclaren fans didn't arrange their floor tiles in a haphazard way when they went to shit for three seasons with a GP2 engine and Game of Throne's fans didn't storm HBO's offices because Season 7 was fucking dire.

Because season tickets holders invest a minimum of £300 each year into the club that has repeatedly failed to engage at all with their fans. Pitch invasions and throwing coins are against the law (obviously) but peaceful protests are allowed.

57Deluxe

Is nothing to do with team investment - I said - the Pitch IS TOO BIG for them!

The pitch at London Stadium is the standard size required by Premier League and UEFA Rules, 105 x 68m. At the Boleyn Ground, the pitch was 100.5 x 68m as ground staff could not make the standard length due to the confines of the Stadium

munckee

Garthy said:

jpttaylor said:

There's blame on both sides - it's a long story with a lot of factors. No one condones violence, pitch invasions etc. but fans are entitled to protest, especially against a board that has repeatedly failed to engage them in any meaningful way.

How are you entitled to anything? Metallica fans didn't storm HMV when Jason was forced out, Mclaren fans didn't arrange their floor tiles in a haphazard way when they went to shit for three seasons with a GP2 engine and Game of Throne's fans didn't storm HBO's offices because Season 7 was fucking dire.

Wait what? Season 7 dire,   I did not know this was even a view I thought it was good some of the best episodes ever.  Screw the west ham thing this is real news!

Legionreturns

I don't understand footy fans feeling entitled. If you want guaranteed entertainment and a certain outcome, don't watch sport. 

Go to a fucking concert or the theater. 

Sport is unpredictable and often boring / crap and someone has to finish in the bottom three. If you don't like that, I'd suggest sport isn't for you. 

I say this as a palace fan.