Olas v Spuds big Sam sings My Way

BIG SAM SINGS
MY WAY

And now, the end is here
And so I face the final Home game
My Foes, I'll say it clear
I'll state my case, of which I'm certain
I've played the game, which you lot havent
I travelled each and every highway
And more, much more than this, I did it my way

Regrets, I've got none
But if I did I wouldn’t mention
I did what I had to do and saw it through without consideration
I planned each game we played, each long ball kicked, along the touchline
And more, much more than this, I did it my way

Yes, there were times, I heard you boo
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all, I was in no doubt
I ate it up and spit it out
I faced it all and I cupped my ear and did it my way

I've loved, I've laughed and cried
I've had my fill, my share of losing
And now, as tears subside, I find it all so amusing
To think I did all that
And may I say, not in a shy way,
"Oh, no, oh, no, not me, I did it my way"

For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself, then he has naught
To say the things he truly feels and not the words of one who kneels
The record shows I took the blows and did it my way!

Yes, it was my way

If my friend who is supposedly ITK is to be believed today is the last time Big Sam will be in the home dugout at the Boleyn. His time is up, and I for 1 it cant come soon enough. It has taken 3 years and a lot of damage has been done to this club in that time, but if it is true then the fans will have succeeded in getting him out. The fans poll conducted on-line this week was damming, 78% of the 12,000 that voted said its time for him to go, coupled with the many comments posted on social media that are attributed to season ticket holders, many of whom were threating not to renew, culminating in the banner displayed at the West Brom game it appears our owners will shake him by the hand and say thanks, but no thanks.
For the 2nd time in his career the pressure brought by fans will end in his downfall and he can only blame himself for that.
I wouldn’t like to speculate on his replacement until its official, but if it was me I would be looking for a young manager, give him a 5 year contact, and even accept relegation in the 1st season without sacking if you can see that he is building something. Fans are often accused of being too demanding wanting success today, Now, yet im sure nearly every Hammers fan against sam, that is not the case. 1stly we want to see a team that plays a certain way, im not talking Barcelona or Arsenal type football, but a team that are not 1 dimensional, that can hit a ball up to the tall striker, but also play around him through midfield and play off him, that is where Sam just doesn’t get it, I can accept the Chelsea away performance or the Hull at home, if they were infrequent, but they are not and coupled with his arrogant manor when discussing in the media why the fans are up in arms he can not be surprised that is has turned out this way.
The problem is the move to the OS is linked to this, linked to his appointment, linked to the possibility the club may keep him, we have been through 3 years of him because of the move to the OS, that 1 thing has this club in Limbo and in reality is the one that is destroying the club.
I wish this was the last game ever here and the move was happening next season as it will only continue to hang round us until then. The club needs stripping back, playing staff coaching staff, the lot, we need to see a purpose to what this club is trying to achieve otherwise when we go to the OS it will be as I predict, same old west ham, just in new surroundings. And that will result in even more anguish for fans as it may mean we have sold our heritage and soul down the river for nothing.
Brady said world class players will play for west ham at the OS, if that don’t happen, all this mess were in now, 3 years of Sam Allardyce and his soul destroying brand of football, fans arguing, even fighting, with each other, will be for nothing. As much as I hate the thought of the move and nothing will ever persuade me it was right or just, the quicker we get there, the quicker the wounds may heal.
Don’t hold your breath though.
Enjoy your summer, thanks for buying and supporting OLAS
See you all next season.
mywhufc@yahoo.com

Booing football

Well, its been brewing for ages and to be honest i always knew that day would come, but i doubt that anyone thought it would come after a win. The fall out though is what has bothered me, the shocking performance really is nothing new as we have witnessed many a game like that over his nearly 3 year Tenure, yet when i got home after the game i went online to read what had been said across the West Ham sites and what i saw left a bad taste in my mouth, basically west ham supporters upset over the booing after the game calling those that booed, MUGs. MUGS? i couldn't quite believe it. we all watch the same game but we all view it through different eyes and yes there will always be different opinions in what went on, but the fact that some decided to Abuse those that frankly used the only way they have inside the ground to voice their displeasure at what they believe is the shocking tactics that are choking this club is disgraceful. Add to the fact that it turned out that some of the most opinionated fans against the booers didnt even go to the game but sat at home and watched did incense me. How can a fan that attends the game be a mug against those that are not at the game is quite beyond me. The papers were naturally full of it the next morning, pictures of BFS cupping his ears to the crowd splashed across the page mocking the fans that were booing him. In his interview after the game, did he try diffuse that situation by saying he understood fans frustration. No, he did his arrogant best, acting mystified over why the fans would boo a victory. He knows why those that booed did, its because they have had enough of his "only the result matters" brand of football that he specialises in. He is not bothered about flair or shock horror, entertaining fans. There a many fans that buy into Sam, they are fed a diet of the club being laden with debt so we have to cut our cloth accordingly, that it will be better once we move but for the next few years we have to basically take this medicine. Funny how the debt didn't stop us from paying him the 5th highest wage in the league, nor did the debt stop us giving Brady a pay rise or her million pound bonus for delivery the OS. The debt is only used as weapon against the fans that have the cheek to voice their opinion about the rubbish served up by the squad that he has assembled. naturally Sams friends in the press then jumped to his defence, Ian Ladyman in the Daily Mail "Back across town at West Ham, though, something felt odd about the events of Wednesday night. The club’s owners may well decide to move forward with a new manager this summer.If that happens, Allardyce will not complain. He will take his skills and his methods elsewhere. But to boo a man who is essentially fulfilling the brief he was delivered when he was appointed in June 2011 sets a very high bar for whoever follows him.Then finished with "Wanted: One football manager to keep West Ham in the Premier League. Must play like Brazil" Totally missing the point of what drove supporters to boo a victory, booing a defeat is easy, and can be swatted away as fickleness, and fans that want instant success, but to boo a victory shows that those fans care so much that will not accept the style of football BFS serves up. If football is too you just about the result and the points gained after it then why would you pay to go watch the game, especially when the result can be found as soon as the whistle has finished in hundreds of different ways. If it just about the result then fans might as well just stay at home and stick up the results service on Sky or the BBC. To Boo a victory says,in my opinion, that its not just about results, its not just about 3 points, they are wanted yes, but not a demand or requirement, the fans that booed that victory are saying that this club has had enough of watching the most lifeless brand of football to ever darken our door and it tells the owners that they know what they need to do. The owners are fans of this club, i cant for a minute with them knowing the history of the club and the type of fans we get at the Boleyn, that they themselves are happy with the way we are playing, they have to be seen to back the manager but privately i am sure they feel the pain of the performances and come then end of the season will shake Sams hand, thank him very much, and kick his fat arse out the door. Lastly in Reply to Ian ladyman's comment about football like Brazil, i just want football like West Ham, unpredictable but exciting, the type where you walk out after a defeat and say, didn't we play well. i remember a 5-1 defeat by Leeds in april 1999, we had 3 sent off yet that team showed more attacking intent that day then Sams team has all season, i walked out of that game feeling proud of the way we played, when was the last time you did that this season

only porn and horses

So Liverpool in an attempt to crack the American market for their owners have allowed Fox TV to make a documentary series called “Being Liverpool”, a programme that follows the day to day goings on behind the scenes , which has got me thinking what would “Being West Ham” be like, imagine if a camera crew could follow our owners into the boardroom and eves drop into their conversations . I imagine it would be something like this, Set the scene, West Ham owners have just trudged back into the boardroom after the end of their 1st full season in charge, which ended in relegation. GOLDIE “what we gonna do Sully we need to get back up at the 1st time of asking or our dream will be gone” SULLY “ don’t worry yourself old man I know what I am doing its all part of my master plan” GOLDIE “ what’s that sully boy “ SULLY “drive the share price down so I can snap up the rest of the shares off the Icelandic’s at a lower price, get back up 1st time of asking and I’ll be quid’s in” GOLDIE “ what do you mean I” SULLY “sorry Goldie I mean we. Slip of the old tongue. Where that KAREN” In walks Karen Brady, West Ham’s Vice Chairman. SULLY “ah about time to Brazza where you been “ KB “ I’ve just told Kevin Keen to forget about wanting the managers job” GOLDIE “ why did you do that” KB “ Because I sacked him” GOLDIE “ but he’s West Ham through and through” SULLY “Don’t worry about that, I’ve got some one lined up, a sure fire winner some one guaranteed to get this club where I want it. Brazza Stick the kettle on love and don’t forget the Hobnobs “ GOLDIE “ I remember once we were gonna make a Dildo called a Hob Knob, thought it might appeal to women who like to do it in the Kitchen” Sully and Karen just look and shake their heads. In the background the sound of music can be heard getting louder, it’s the imperial March from Star Wars Du du d du duu d duu d du duuu. The door to the board room opens and in walks a giant of a man, dressed in black he breathes heavy, in and out, in and out, Goldie struggles to get his words out as he looks on in fear GOLDIE “It’s It’s” SULLY “ Say hello to our new manager Goldie Big Fat Sam. Whats with the Heavy breathing Sam. BFS “ bye eck Sully those stairs are a killer” GOLDIE “ Whats he doing here sully, you promised me the next manager would be a football man, some one with a bit of class, a West Ham man” SULLY “ oh shut up you tart. We were lucky to get him; Real Madrid And Barcelona was after him you know. Aint that right Sam.” BFS “ Oh YEAH,,,,,, Well Real macribs and Barca lone star, they both play at power league in Accrington on a Thursday. Macribs were the favourite to get me, sponsored by the local McDonalds’, offered me all I could eat mcflurries. But when I got your call Sully I flew down here as quick as the old Quattro could carry me.” GOLDIE “ I told you in January when screwed O’Neil about, I don’t think the fans SULLY “ They will Goldie, that’s the beauty of relegation, these muppetts, sorry fans, will swallow it, just like the punters that buy those dodgy blue pills we knock out in the back the Sport, desperate to see it rise they will swallow anything.” BFS “ Is that tea coming and have you got any Eccles cake, I like Eccles cake I do” KB “ Ive got crackers Sam “ BFS “ Aye love you have, a right pair of crackers they are, but I really fancy cake with me tea, just like me Ma gave me when I was but a nipper “ SULLY “ Don’t worry goldie, ive got a plan, . BFS will get us up in the 1st year wont you Sam” BFS “ Aye, will do. Ill make this team the biggest in the land within 2 years” SULLY “ See Goldie, we can do it. With my leadership, Sams managemnt, Braaza’s ability to bullshit with best and you as the Figure head, the matriarch, the man whose come back home like Moses to lead us to our MECCA” BFS “ MECCA, did you say Mecca. I like a game of Bingo, used to play it with my Mam down t club, just before the Strippers came on” SULLY “ No Sam, not Bingo, STRATFORD, THE OLYMPIC STADIUM. If we can get into there, what with flogging this place and knock out a couple of the other sites well be quids in. THIS TIME NEXT YEAR WELL BE BILLIONAIRES” Cue the closing theme tune. We've got some half price Adult tickets and miles and miles of dodgy scarfs, T.V.s, garden gnomes and cockney reject L.P.s, Ball games, gold chains, whatsnames, and leather goods, And Trevor Brooking track suits from a geezer in the Spotted Dog, DOG, DOG DOG DOG DOG ... No income tax, no V.A.T., No money back, no guarantee, long or short, pass or hoof We'll play the game very longgggggg God bless Green Street, Viva Green Street, Long live Green Street, C'est magnifique, Green Street, Magnifique, Green Street, Green Street (to fade) Apparently the working title was “Only Porn and Whoreses” and you’ll have to wait to later in the season to see what happened next.

A Line in the Sand

This week i sat down with other west ham fans to start, with the club, planning the final season at the Boleyn. One item is that every ExHammer be them player coach or owner, that would like to, be asked to return for at least 1 more game and be presented on the field and even have as many as possible attend the last game. There are some Ex's though that may not be as welcome as others, Harry Redknapp for one, Defoe, Paul Ince, are another 2 that may not get the welcome back they deserve, Frank Lampard Jnr is another who may find a chilly reception, and that is putting it mildly. Yet they have pulled on the shirt at the Boleyn and as such should be welcomed back just 1 last time. So i ask that perhaps it is time with the End of the ground in sight that we draw a line in the sand, put all our grievances against these people to one side and allow them to spend 1 last time at the Boleyn, a place where they have entertained us whether we like it or not and they may, just like us, hold fond memories of the place. So is that a viable thing or should we let our dislike of those that we have perceived to wrong us stay with us to the end. I for one am a forgiving person so I would like to see them at least be applauded on the pitch one last time, but it should be a debate between fans with all fans left to decide if they would like to see them back.

still waiting to know the price of our soul

When Judas Iscariot sold out Jesus he received 30 pieces of silver, I don’t know how much that would be worth this day and age but probably less than what our owners are getting for the sale of the Boleyn Ground. That analogy may be extreme but to many that have been against the move to the Stratford athletic stadium the owners have finally sold the soul of the club, we are yet to know what they get but 30 pieces of silver or 30 million pound it makes no matter, the ground will be no more as of the end of 2016. Many may think this is sentimental clap trap but to me, and others that I know, it will be the end of the west ham united that was formed in 1900 down the Barking Road in Canning Town. When it was revealed that Gold &Sullivan were looking to buy the club back in late 2009 I must admit that I thought with David Gold in charge you couldn’t have had a better owner for West Ham, the man reeks of old style West Ham he would save the club, stabilise the ship, then build it slowly, having a club that still believed in style of substance. How wrong could I have been from day one they chased the OS yet they made all the right noises in that it wouldn’t be with the running track, as to quote David Sullivan just 1 day after buying the club Asked whether they would be happy to live with the track around the pitch, he said: "Ideally no, but there may be a way we could lay the running track for three months or something. On the BBC one month later Sullivan is reported as saying that football and running pitches don’t work yet when they realised that they wouldn’t get there way, they sold out their principles because money was needed. I was asked recently why I dislike our owners so much when others really like them, I replied that it was perhaps because I saw them, especially Gold, as one of us, but to me, they have shit on the club and the fans with the move, they way they have gone about it, the tactics they used against those against it, and the lies they have told. Basically, I was always told as a kid to never shit on your own doorstep, well Gold in my opinion has done just that. The Stadium will never be what a football stadium should be like, the distances and the overall size are just to large. There is nothing that can stop the move from happening but it don’t mean I have to like it or will ever believe it was the right thing to do.

Desperate or right

when I saw Andy Carrol's red card against Swansea I don't think and I doubt any one in football could for see the reverberations it would cause this week. Witnessing it at the time I must admit that I saw the initial tussle but looked away following the ball only to see Flores rolling around, my initial thought was that Carroll had done him off the ball, a friend text me at the time who was at home watching it on TV saying that contact was minimal but the intent was there. Once i had seen it for myself on TV that night I could in a way see how he got the red. obviously Flores reaction is tantamount to cheating yet that was a reaction to Carroll's action, like it or not AC swung his arm and did make contact with Flores, and for that he got sent off, debatable it may be but 1 of the 1st rules of football is the referees decision is final and that rule should be upheld more than any. Referees do make mistakes but so does every player on the pitch because believe or not they are only human. Naturally West Ham appealed against the decision,urging fans, via various online outlets,on the Monday to contact the FA,many were fuelled by the fact is was so obvious that Flores play acting contributed to the red card, yet Howard Webb stood by his decision that the red card was issued not as much for the connection but that AC intended to connect, the panel had no choice to uphold the decision. West Ham's owners though still felt hard done by, and sought unprecedented legal advice, for as the Swansea game proved WHU are far better with AC than without. If West Ham wanted to show everyone that they themselves see us as a one trick pony team then they couldn't have made it clearer, David gold came out fighting, not ruling out legal action calling on the FA to look again at the decision but telling was his admission that if we were mid table we wouldn't be considering the legal challenge also adding that if AC was banned that decision could relegate us, ignoring the fact that Carroll missed the opening 20 games of the season would be nearer the truth, ignoring the fact that the owners signed him knowing he was injured but also failed to properly cover his position. If we are relegated it will not be because AC missed 3 games it will be because of everything that went before his ban. So to then contemplate legal action just proves that it was an act of a desperate regime and one that if had taken place and been successful could of brought anarchy to the game, every red card would be open to the clubs not accepting it and following our lead in a legal challenge. The FA headed off our threat anyway with the promise of arbitration which today agreed with the previous Panel that Howard Webbs reason for sending off AC was a valid one, his 3 match ban stands, but yet the real crime is the actions of Chico Flores go unpunished, ignored by the FA and also the PFA after all his actions were designed to cheat another fellow professional. I dont know the rules on discipline but if ever a player brought the game into disrepute and deserved to be charged with that crime then that was Chico Flores. The clubs owners were desperate, and it showed, it also laid bare the fact that they realise without Ac we are a poor team and for that they only have themselves to blame

Conspiracy theory over the AC sending off

Ok I give in; Boycott is over, what do you mean you didn’t notice my boycott, bit futile then, bit like the fans being rallied on the internet yesterday to beg to the FA not to ban Andy Carroll over his Red Card against poor old Chico. I must admit that I saw the tussle between the 2 but then looked away to follow the ball, looked back again to see Chico rolling around holding his face. My 1st reaction was that AC must of kicked him or done him off the ball so didn’t complain much when the Red Card was shown, my friend who missed the game through illness was texting me and they thought it may looked harsh but to them intent was there and that was why he was off. Watching it back when I got home I must admit to being mystified as the Ref was not that far away from the incident so it was his decision alone to make and he obviously felt he saw something that warranted the sending off. The fact that we can appeal is at least 1 good thing and to be honest while making a frivolous appeal can add an extra game to the ban, even if we should lose the appeal it’s such a debateable incident that there’s no way we should cop the extra 1. Unless of course after yesterday’s encouragement to bombard the FA with begging text’s tweets and emails by some of the internet hammer sites it wouldn’t surprise me if the FA saw that for what it was, a shameful attempt to manipulate the due process or put unnecessary influence on the FA, funnily enough it would not surprise me in the slightest if the club were really behind yesterday’s shenanigans as it did seem strange that it wasn’t restricted to just the 1 site but was spread across the board with1 site having 2 threads at one point banging the drum, then again I am just a conspiracy theorist but you never know, law of averages dictates I have to get some of them right. If the decision goes against Carroll surely all is not lost as we have Carlton to come in, and considering the ties are probably 3 easier games then we should be ok, shouldn’t we? Unless of course the fact that the club used everything in their power either surreptitiously or not to get AC off shows that in fact they even realise that without him we are doomed, after all, it is in the next 3 games it is imperative that we gain at least 7 points and without AC perhaps they think/realise we won’t achieve that target. If we fail and then fail to collect 7 points in the next 3 and then if we are relegated by, say,,, 1 or 2 points, then the club have a ready excuse, it’s all Howard Webb’s fault and his stooges at the FA for sending our man off and not rescinding, totally ignoring the fact we didn’t have him for the opening 19 games of the season. Me and my conspiracies,,,, dear oh dear.