West Ham fans saw their side fall to a big 3-0 loss against Burnley at the weekend. But we must work out our timing if they are to help the side stay up.
It’s never good to be involved in a relegation battle. It’s never good to be promised more than you end up getting. When you combine both situations at once, and you start to see normally rational people’s tempers flare. That’s all I can imagine happened at the weekend at West Ham.
Whilst the match was in the balance, the Hammers seemed on top. The fans seemed to be behind them and the stadium’s atmosphere was no different to usual. But after Burnley’s first goal, the stadium turned hostile, and some people lost their heads. Poor stewarding has been a feature of the London Stadium so far, but to see multiple fans get to the pitch was very poor.
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I have no doubt that they didn’t turn up with the intention of invading the pitch, but the atmosphere around the club right now is a powder keg. There have been decisions made that cannot be reversed. But marching onto the pitch isn’t going to change it. Even if it was the players who put in another shoddy defensive performance, getting onto the pitch and shouting at them won’t change that.
Nor will hurling coins at the directors box. Whilst I am fully supporting of those who feel anger towards the current ownership, there are people in those boxes who are not to blame. Sir Trevor Brooking was sitting in the directors box, and apart from being a West Ham legend, he’s a truly top man. His opinion on the matter, for me, is perfect:
"“Just don’t come to the games at the moment until you try to allow the players to get the points to stay up,” he told BBC Radio 5 live’s Sportsweek. “That atmosphere must never come back.”"
If you are going to protest, do not do it during the matches. Do not turn our home, however much you do or don’t like it, into another example for the media to hate us. I may not be that old, but even I can remember times when our club was in worse shape than this. We must give ourselves a chance to survive.
Next: Where do West Ham get the points to survive?
Protests I am for. I do not want Gold and Sullivan running my club any more. I fully support any march or even in stadium show of defiance against the owners.
But we must help where we can. We were promised more than we are getting, but the fact remains the players on the pitch are not performing either. Whilst the ownership should have spent more, the players must deliver more as well.
Southampton at home is our next match, and absolutely huge. We must win this, or risk having to rely on other teams for our own survival. When the whistle blows for kick off, we must make the stadium a real home. Whilst the memory of Upton Park is still fresh for many, its the fans can make a place our own.