Burnley at home - 10th March - Match Thread
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Comments
All round not a great day for the club.
Well that went well then.
Dear Bobby, if you were sitting on a cloud over Stratford this afternoon, looking down on a game which celebrated your memory. On behalf of every sane thinking westham supporter, I unreservedly apologise for the behaviour of a few.
Your memory should not have been tarnished in that way.
However, I still feel deeply saddened especially for Hamstew and his lad and for Ammerinaberdeen and Wombat.
As mentioned the stewards were a waste of space - they seemed to have been instructed not to tackle anyone.
N
;lol
Expat - ditto - missed your earlier post as I had already set off and don't do mobile internet thingy.
All the best to you both
I felt the need to have a natter.
Just a post regarding security (and other things), which has been covered by some others. Earlier today, I was having a chat with my best mate, who, along with his wife (ex copper by the way), is a season ticket holder, and does all home matches, and aways when he can. He went today.
We both agreed that if we went behind, it would kick off, today of all days. His wife agreed.
My mate even said, "I bet some one grabs a corner flag"
My point is, if we could see it coming, why was the stewarding so poor ?
I spoke to him again tonight, and the discussion went into some depth.
First - a rider - I have no time for people who indulged in violence today. But we have had pitch invasions before, and will have them again. There is no point getting all 'horrified of Tunbridge Wells' about it.
Basically, different people react to circumstances in different ways. If the club's support was an ABC1ish demographic, people would enjoy their matchday experience, win or lose, have a few beers, and go home reasonably happy. Because supporting a football club is not a definition of their identity, and they perhaps dont live in the old catchment area, and mix with C2's Ds and E's, they are secure enough in their own personalities to shrug off a bad performance or two, and even treat relegation with some equanimity.
For the other demographic groups, this is perhaps not the case. Their support for West Ham is more tribal, and acts as a reflection of part of how they see themselves. Trust is not easily gained, and quickly lost where there is a perception that somebody or thing is taking the mickey out of them, or their beliefs.
If they deem they are not listened to, like many groups who feel marginalised, some don't react within societal norms, and bad behaviour may ensue, even law breaking.
However - you have to walk a mile in their shoes.
If we were doing well, the squad was invested in properly, this would not be happening IMO.
If we were at the Boleyn, I feel more people would take it with a pinch of salt, because we would be a Yo Yo club YoYoing as is our wont. But they sold the Boleyn for less than the price of a player, and the added revenue streams do not amount to much. People feel cheated, and, as I have said above, will either not be overly bothered, or alternatively, will feel that a piece of their self image has been stolen.
As for relegation - if it happens it happens, the table doesn't lie. If our squad is not good enough to compete at the top level, so be it. It is the board's job to ensure that this does not happen, and they are failing.
But the premiership is a rigged game - and FFP will keep it that way. So if the best we can ever be is 8th - what is the point really ? All this huffing and puffing - but the Emperor has no clothes. Bring on the European league I say. I enjoyed our time in the Championship, and I'm sure I'm not alone.
If the Board's fall back business plan is to finish at 17th place to enjoy the Sky money every year that underpins our balance sheet, then that will no longer wash - other people are now looking at what they are doing, and the average fan now is much more financially astute - a problem with broadening your fan base to invite the ABC demographics.
I feel that they are setting themselves up for a sale, and will try to buy the OS soon. It will be cheaper for them to do that in the Champo BTW.
On the finance issue - It is a question of 'real' investment (not relying on pay day loans) by setting up sponsorships, or converting loans into share capital, and writing off of personal debt by the owners, instead of racking up compound interest. but they wont do it.
Gold's argument about his investment earlier does not hold water. To say he could have earned more interest Not investing in the club invites the response that when we eventually sell up, he only gets his original investment back, and doesn't enjoy the fruits of the rise of the ground's value. Its disingenuous at best. He says he has not taken a penny, but this is disproved by the accounts - the money just hasn't hit his bank account yet.
So lock up the violent ones by all means, but don't take too much umbrage at protest. Today was just one game - there will be many others.
By definition, most of us posting on here today are keyboard warriors, we were watching streams, and were not there.
TV cameras exacerbate the problem and today was the day it was going to happen.
Hopefully things will now calm down, and we win our next couple of games.
Support the team
Board Out
Love to all BBB x
I knew that if we lost the game we would be in trouble. I didn't expet to see such moronic actions from some in the stadium.
I am disappointed with the result, but significantly more unhapply with the situation our club is now in.
A sad state of affairs.
When it was cancelled all hell broke loose!
Yobs saw it as their time to shine!
They knew what they were doing as the invasion was orchestrated by so called
"REAL" fans who decided upon themselves to cause havock and besmirch the memory of our "gentleman hero" Bobby
Moore.
If he had been here, he would have done exactly as Mark Noble did and more!
I hope they are proud of themselves for their 15 minutes of fame.
That shows me they were doing it for themselves or they would have either joined the peaceful 150 who did walk, or waited till the game was over and demonstrated.
The headlines are going to focus on the stupidity of what they did and the frightened children they didn't take into account.
The Met estimated that 200 fans were protesting in front of the directors box although BBC reckoned it was 500 at the time. The official attendance was 56,904, as far as I can tell the away allocation is 7000 and according to Burnley's website they sold the lot. So if we say that there 49904 West Ham fans then even if it was 500 that's 1%, even if they overestimated the attendance its still going to be a tiny proportion.
From what I've heard more people walked out in disgust after the second goal than tried to start a riot
Dee, the 4 or 5 people who ran onto the pitch did not have a go at the players.
Mind they were escorted from the pitch by stewards who then helped them over the electronic advertising things and back to their seats. Still they all have their NVQ's.
Addressing the muppet who came on the pitch with the corner flag,
“Hey pal, I will tell you where you can put that flag, hint - ask Chelsea”
Well it made me smile
For the time being, though, I'm staying behind the sofa.
;sofa
You're right in that it was a minority in the stadium who protested, however, it is quite clear that there is now a huge number of people who are disgruntled with the way the owners have run the club.
Apparently 5000 did not renew there season ticket last summer which is a huge chunk of the fan base.
Some 16k were looking to protest before the match on Saturday before it was called off.
Yes only 500-600 protested but there are still thousands more who are disgruntled. It would be unwise for Gold, Sullivan and Brady to now come out, ignore there is an issue and state that it's only a handful who are upset, although that's probably will happen next.
As a club everyone should acknowledge that there are issues and try to see If they can be addressed. Just side stepping them as if the problem isn't there will solve nothing and only compound the issue.
Yesterday, in front of their stadium, a group of fans put up a banner accompanied by grave crosses. It read 'Time's up, we'll get you all"
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2008/may/12/premierleague.birminghamcityfc
Apologies if this has already been referenced...
Press reporting stuff was chucked at the directors' box, and DS was hit in the face by a coin.