Written by Kevin Slade @kevinsladeSDCC
As if the world of West Ham United wasn’t exhausting enough, I’m writing this article in the desperate hope of trying to find something positive to publish. The uncomfortable truth is there isn’t anything positive about our football club at the moment; it’s toxic from top to bottom, inside and out. If someone had told me two years ago that we’d be in this position (on the pitch and off), in twenty four months time, I would have eaten my Sex, Drugs, & Carlton Cole hat. On the pitch, we’ve been in this situation many many times before. In the 26 years I’ve held my season ticket I’ve seen two relegations, god knows how many relegation fights, seen our best players flogged for next to nothing, and watched us lose many, many games. But what kept the football club alive was our fan base. The best fan base in the world. A fan base that no matter where you were, who you were with, you all felt like you were still a part of something extremely special. So special that you can’t even put it into words, and you’d only understand if you were one of us. I remember going to the Boleyn Ground and seeing the same faces week in, week out. I’d never said a single word to the majority of those faces the entire time I attended the old girl, but we would always acknowledge eachother with a ‘nod’ – Home and away. Bill Gardener is another face who I’d see every week without fail, and again we’d aknowledge each other with a ‘nod’. Supporters like bill have been going a lot longer than me, but we’ve suffered the same emotions – mostly down, but we’ve suffered the same pain and minor glory. I’d never said a word to Bill in my life, but It’s just what we done at West Ham. We were all a part of something great. No matter how big or small your name was, terrace legend or not, we were all West Ham & we were all equal to each other. I mean let’s have it right, apart from the odd season of over achieving once a decade we’ve always been shit on the pitch. But off the pitch we’ve always been the best group of supporters out there. We carry ourselves with class and dignity, we know how to take the piss out of ourselves, and most of all, we will travel to the other side of the planet in numbers to support our boys – even without a ticket. But what saddens me is my worst nightmare is starting to become reality and I can see all of this slowly losing its grip…
After the defeat to Swansea, our fan base went into meltdown, and rightly so. Social media has become the forefront to vent frustration and anger, purely because it’s so easy to just pick up your phone and let rip. It was a disgrace of a performance, and I personally point the finger at the manager and players. However, I will talk about my opinion on the match itself on Wednesday’s radio show.
Yesterday I had a quick surf through twitter after the game & I’ve never seen so much of a divide in our fan base. West Ham supporters have always had different opinions and you’d be a fool to think otherwise. But we’ve never ever spoken to each other like dirt, we’ve never offered each other out, and worst of all, we’ve never threatened each other. When we moved to the Olympic Stadium I had the attitude of “you can move our home and change our badge, but you can never destroy a fan base”… sadly, it looks as though it’s happening… And the most frustrating thing for me is I can’t put my finger on why this is happening? Is it the board? Is it the players? Is it the management? Whatever the issue is, we NEED to stick together. Because without each other, what have we got? Fuck all. We need to be the West Ham that everyone knows and loves. We’ve all heard the stories from our fathers and grandfathers about why this football club is so special to us, and we cannot let that die. We are responsible for protecting this football club – not David Sullivan, not David gold, not Brady, not the players, not the stadium. They might not be going anywhere for a few years, but they won’t last forever. We are at the helm of this club – when we’re dead & gone, our children will still be going. When they’re dead & gone, their children will still be going & so on.
When I talk about West Ham to my daughter, rarely do I ever tell her that she needs to support West Ham because we’re ‘the best’. I tell her that being a part of West Ham United is more than just supporting a football club; it’s a lifestyle. My grandparents were born into it. My dad was. I was. Now my daughter has been born into it. Born into something so special that you can’t imagine your life without it. The bloodline of my family are/were all working class characters from the east end who looked out for one another, and that integrated into West Ham. We don’t support West Ham by choice, it’s in our blood. So please, if you’re reading this think about what’s being destroyed. Board in or out, respect each other’s opinions because the bottom line is we’d all die for this club and We’re all in the same boat. It’s only us that can protect our reputation. It’s only us that can keep our legacy of why we’re the best supporters out there. We’ve never had much glory, and we’ve suffered so much pain. But we’ve always always had each other. And that’s what has kept this football club alive, because without us, there would be nothing! Granted the team is diabolical at the moment, but we really need to get behind them to survive what has been a torrid season. I for one am sick of it, but what makes us different to the likes of spurs, arsenal, chelsea etc, is when the chips are down we’re fucking there for our club. Rain, sleet, or snow. We’re there!
COYI ⚒
Spot on but how the hell we all get focused back ! I suppose it starts with the team performing and the heads in charge allowing the investment for that to happen, if they are not prepared to do this NOW then it will split into more fractions and could be the death of us as we were, its in there hands to what direction we go unfortunately.
I totally agree but the owners are to blame they are the ones that have divided us as the saying goes divide and conquer. Something drastically needs to change but I really can’t see any light at the tunnel. Everyone has there own opinion right or wrong I see so many fans talk to each other either like dirt or one thinks they have the moral high ground due to age or how many games they attend or what website/ Facebook group they are admins of I was pleased to see the other month how well and how quick the rwhf group united people so quick but then in the blink of an eye ( agree or disagree)
It was undone just like that it proves we can be united but as my opinion the board are blocking every form or togetherness as they no we are a million times stronger when we are together but untill some one stands up and be counted we will never be united untill the day the board are gone
Unfortunately Kevin you are right and it’s so sad to see. However, Sullivan and Brady do not help the situation. Knowingly or not knowingly, the board have lied to us, they made on tv or social media channels statements that they were going to do this or that or the other and they have failed at every level. THEY ARE TO BLAME FOR THIS, NOT THE FANS!
But they don’t care about the fans, they shrug off comments made against them because they have 50,000 people waiting to buy season tickets.
Then the comment by David Gold to a genuine question and he says if you’re not committed maybe shouldn’t renew your season ticket. Not the sort of answer I would expect from a Director of our Football Club. Maybe an answer like, “I appreciate your frustrations, we are taking measures to improve the current situation and we will be investing and making improvements in the Summer. We do value your support and you can rest assured we will do everything in our power to make these improvements”
We do need to get behind the team and 99% of fans will do!
The fans are hacked off by the board and are large number of them won’t settle for anything less than them leaving the club,
This is unlikely, so we have to work with them to ensure that they understand our frustrations and take ownership that they have failed to deliver on every level, except the one that is most important to them, which is the finance.
The scars run deep within the fan base and though they won’t please all the people, they must start making efforts to heal these wounds.
I did not like what happened to David Gold after the Swansea game, totally uncalled for.
There isn’t anything the board can do at the moment, yes they can make improvements to the ground and I would like to see a fan zone. Man City and Sunderland have decent fan zones. But where they will make the most impact is in the summer, with a decent transfer budget and buy quality young (under 30) players who can help us compete at the top rather than fight at the bottom of the league.
Mark
Kevin i have had over fifty flaming years of it and no it doesn’t get any easier, .i hear people talking about playing the WHU way and wonder what they’ve been watching for the last 50 years, back in the day it only kicked of in the South Bank when we were losing and it kicked of a lot trust me.
We have somehow accquired a shower that is a mix of clapped out old pro’s, loanees, crocs. ( what is our Physio doing exactly?) and one or two with new contracts and brand new baby Bentleys who think they’ve made it?.
Yes it is about community and family ( although i am sure you will find a lot of Geordies & Scousers saying exactly the same) it is about working class East End roots and preserving a culture, something a lot of the corporate footballing mandarins of the game just dont get, we are just customers to a lot of them not fans,..
You are right we should stick together and stick it to everyone else, but not i might add to 80 odd year old board members for fcuks sake that is not on.
C.O.Y.I.