For all of the excitement during the build-up to West Ham’s return to action this weekend, there was much doubt in my mind after watching a few Bundesliga matches that the resumption of the Premier League campaign couldn’t possibly live up to expectations.
But after months with barely any sports at all and especially considering the implications for West Ham, I was excited to sit down and watch the match between Aston Villa and Sheffield United during the afternoon over in Canada. I had attempted a few Bundesliga matches, specifically my adopted German club Union Berlin, but the lack of atmosphere and my own busy lifestyle as the parent of an energetic toddler ensured that I was disappointed.
While I’ve spent much of my time as a new contributor to the Green Street Hammers discussing the vital roles that unheralded individuals such as Kevin Nolan, Ben Johnson and Robert Snodgrass would play in the final 9 games of the season, I was starting to wonder if the buzz of the week leading up to match day and the optimistic nervousness that accompanies being a supporter would return.
By all accounts, the match between Villa and the Blades was a dire affair. Yet, I was far more attached to the play and result than I had been for any of my forays into the results of the German league. The players, the clubs, the league table–they were all familiar to me and it made it possible to ignore the terrible fake crowd noise and the lack of supporters in the ground.
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The horrific decision (or lack thereof) with goal-line technology only served as a reminder that the Premier League was well and truly back. I am absolutely buzzing for West Ham’s kick-off with Wolves on Saturday. That’s easy for me to say though; as a Canadian supporter, I’m accustomed to watching the majority of West Ham matches on TV.
For those who follow the club home and away, I can imagine it will be difficult watching the final games of the year trying to adapt to a totally different match-day experience. Whether it’s meeting familiar faces in the pub, sitting next to the same people every week, or sharing the same away from day coach for years on end, the conclusion to this season will have a very strange feeling.
As supporters of West Ham, we often feel as if we play a role in the squad’s success and failure. My wife often jokes that my decisions and eternal optimism do not actually affect the result of the match, especially from across the Atlantic.
But that doesn’t stop me from discarding a matchday outfit when the club fails to show up or wearing the same one when there is a great run of form. I’ve already decided I’m buying Pilsner Urquell and Strongbow for the Wolves match because of where Soucek and Bowen spent the early stages of their career. Superstition and West Ham are a dangerous combination.
When I yelled at the screen today in protest of the goal that should’ve put Sheffield United up 1-0, it was comforting to know that West Ham’s 2019-2020 season had truly returned. It’s an absolutely mad set of circumstances, but the squad has nine games to ensure their season isn’t an absolute failure and we are all along for the ride.
I’m genuinely excited to hear the stories of how everyone creates their own personal atmosphere for the remainder of the campaign, as I’ve seen numerous garden pubs and other plans people have on twitter for following the Irons over the next month and a half.
As for me, I’m going to watch the Wolves match with my mate in my backyard beer garden that I’ve turned into a West Ham pub (in discussions with my toddler to hook up his bubble machine). I haven’t seen my mate since I left our East London Airbnb to rush to Heathrow the morning after the Southampton match. I was sporting a killer hangover and a giant smile on my face because of that 3-1 result.
There was a sense of optimism around East London that the club had truly turned a corner and had the confidence and ability to avoid the drop. I felt that way that morning and I still do today. COYI!