OLAS V Leicester City

One game is all it took for the club and fans it seems to be rejoined as one, Billic appointment had some sections wondering where The owners ambition was, worried about his lack of premiership experience was one excuse often levelled at him by some section of the fans, who it seems ignored his international experience and yet in his 1st premier league game he does more for the feel good factor around the club than his predecessor ever mustered during his tenure.
I know it's early days and 1 game does not make a season but it's an impressive start and surely the club can only grow off the confidence the victory brought about especially considering that with Leicester City and then Bournemouth coming to town I really do expect to see us sitting in top spot with 9 points before we head to Anfield. Now Anfield, that is a place I would love to be this season at the end of August but while I will be only 30 miles away, I'll be preparing for my godfather duties to my beautiful niece the next day, can you imagine the place if we could finally do the Scousers on their own turf for the 1st time in my and many others lifetime, bearing in mind I'm never someone likely to get carried away when it comes to West Ham, which has evolved in me after year upon year of the crash and burn seasons we generally have, I can honestly see us doing the Scousers and imagine that.
I stopped typing the above sentence as I was imagining that victory and the celebrations after, but just to show that the realist in me is still there, I still can't see us finishing above 9th spot but for me every season Is not about the destination, it's about how we get there.
For me finishing 9th is no different to 17th, the outcome is still the same, not relegated. There would be no fitting tribute to the old ground than to win a trophy in its last stand

Seeing Julian back at the club is also great, a couple of years ago I remember seeing him at one of the great EX hammer forums in Romford and during the Q&A session he spoke with great sense in how he saw football should be played, and it seemed to me he was influenced by the great man that signed him ,John Lyall.
Lyall for me was/is the greatest manager we ever had, not just because of the trophies we won, but the fact he was immersed within the club, 1st as a supporter, then player, coach and finally Manager. He had time for anyone and everyone and I still remember when I met him as an 11 year old, I was mascot for the day against Wrexham on the last day of the season 1981, he himself took my mum and I to his office, where we got to chat for what seem ages. The mark of the man came through when I remarked that Clive Thomas was out of order for sending him off at Wembley, he just said that its best left in the past & there was no bad feeling. He then took me to the dressing room where he introduced me to the days team. The fact he relegated the club twice is rightly overlooked and its a shame it did end the way it did but I will never forget that 10 minutes I spent with the man.
In fact when you look at the managers JD played under at West Ham Lyall Macari Bonds and then Redknapp, for me two of the best managers the club have had that I have seen, and my hero as a kid, Bonds. It will be interesting to find out who he says played a bigger part on his career. I think it was Ron Saunders at Birmingham that gave him his chance before he joined us still as a teenager, though his time spent under Lyall was not the best era for the club. Next up Macari, who to be honest, the only player I've ever heard say a good thing about him was Stuart Slater. Bonds quickly followed and remember the 2 of them played together briefly but looking back, it was Bonds that sold him reputedly frustrated by his discipline problems though the deal bore all the hallmarks of Redknapp pulling the strings. Yet he returned a year later, this time under Harry, and if we are honest, the football under Harry was the best we played while Julien was at the club, even achieving 3 top 10 finishes in a row, the only time ever in the clubs history that had been achieved.
It is just great to see him sitting in the dugout and I just hope he can show the players why the fans love him so much and perhaps help them to embrace the club in the same way he did.
I must admit that Billic was my no1 choice, I always thought the Klopp and Benetiz attempts were just the owners setting the bar unrealistically too high, I'm all for ambition but come on, leave Dortmund then join us, big backward step for a manager of the quality of Klopp. As for Benetiz, I liked him, he did well at Liverpool and Chelsea but I never saw him settling for DS buying the players, but I guess we will never know what the outcome would of been.
On the whole, it's great being a West Ham fan at the moment, so long may it continue.

OLAS V Astra

Hands up, who's missing Big Sam, come on there must be one of you. Ok it's early doors yet and with Billic being so well known to all hammers fans over the age of 30 and with the appointment of Julien Dicks, one of the greatest leaders of men West Ham has had in the premiership era, the good ship West Ham is sailing into exciting times. It is as if the last 4 seasons of football drudgery has been washed away and the new dawn the owners have promised for so long is starting to materialise. Problem is, Slavens start has not been that great football wise and the club can market and push the brand all they like, they can convince you we will be that great big club, they can convince you that despite fact from next season some of you will be watching football equivalent to sitting on the Barking Rd, Green St or in the living room of a flat behind the Sir Trev Stand that the view is better but what they can’t really control is players and the way they play. A manager can say all he like, but if the player when he crosses the white line has a bad day, as everyone at work does, then all those adverts and tag lines account for nothing . The club is selling a dream to the fans, “This time next year we will be a big club”, New stadium, new badge, new players, new fans. Problem with dreaming is sometimes you just end up like Dell boy repeating for years that it will be next year. While at times it is good to dream, when you wake up and realise it was just a dream the disappointment hurts even more.
As someone that never gets carried away I can't say I share the sentiments of those that believe we are about to gatecrash the top 6, the signings so far all seem decent, but as I don't play championship manager nor FIFA 15 computer games I can honestly say I have never heard of any of our signings & I'll wait till I've seen them play before I will contemplate either pulling them apart or bestowing greatness on them. I do find it funny though that many of the same people wary of Slavens return as manager, down to his lack of premier league experience, are welcoming with open arms players who have never played in England. Last season of the foreign new signings only Sakho really excelled, Valencia is hit or miss too much of the time, Song had the experience all ready. Our best signing came from the Championship in the form of Cresswell and Jenkinson on loan was a great coup, and one I hope can be renewed, the problem with buying British is it's mainly overpriced and no better example of that is Jarvis, 10 million for him shows you the pitfalls out there and they get more highlighted when looking at the Andy Carroll deal, you can now see why DS prefers to shop abroad, Yet the club is losing its identity with the local area, how many foreign players have we seen come and use us as a gateway to better things, and prime example of that is our new manager, how will he be able to convince players into staying at the club when he failed to do the same when he was a player. Don’t get me wrong, I think Billic was the right man for the job, just seeing foreigner after foreigner being brought in, with the chance they will push out the likes of Tomkins and Noble from the team is not one I find comfortable.
Of course it's very early days, while our season has started all the others are just getting back into training and formalising their squads, and the only time we can sit back and say we've had a good transfer window is once the window is shut and we can compare our squad with those around us and see how we are performing. I have seen far too many false dawns at this club to ever think, this could be our year.

As for Big Sam leaving, bit of a circus really, right down to the fact Sam was preparing to announce his resignation straight after the Newcastle game only to find that, mistakenly, it was put on the clubs website at half time that he wasn't getting a new contract, the mistake was quickly noticed and the statement was taken down, but just 3 minutes after the ref signalled the end of the game, the statement was again released. Sam was beaten to it and this in a way shows you exactly how the relationship had deteriorated between Sully and Sam. I was disappointed in a way we didn't get to hear his resignation speech, and regular readers will know I loved to hear Sam sing, so I've have combined his resignation speech with the song "don't cry for me Argentina"
So for the last ever time, BIG SAM SINGS,

"Don't cry for me West Ham United"

This won't be easy
You might think it strange
When I try to explain how I feel
That I never got your love After all that I've done
You won't believe me
All you will see Is a man you didn't know
And that I didn't follow the West Ham way
Was all that concerned you all

I had to leave you
As I couldn't change
Couldn't stay all my life down south
Looking out of the window & seeing the Sun shine
So I chose to leave you
I'd took you as far as I could
And nothing impressed you at all
But I never expected it too

Don't cry for me West Ham United
The truth is I never loved you
All through my bad games
Our stale existence
I kept my promise
Now keep your distance

I've made a fortune at this club
Though I never invited you in
Though it seemed to the world, we are all friends now,
It's just an illusion
They're not the solutions they promise to be
The answer was here all the time
I don't love you and know you don't love me

Don't cry for me West Ham United
I know you never loved me
You ignored my good games
I ignored your criticism
I cupped my ears
Now keep your distance
But Now I’ve said too much?
There's nothing more I can think of to say to you
But all you have to do
Is look at me to know
That every word I say is true.

OLAS V Lusitano

It seems like only Yesterday we were here last, but its only been 6 weeks and so the longest of seasons is preceded by the shortest of close season, Its good to be back and I for one are grateful for the Europa League as it gives us a chance to enjoy football at the Boleyn just that little bit longer, even if it is against a Pub team from some crappy made up place of a country that has no right competing in tournaments like this. Come on people, the Andorran football league has only 8 teams competing, they play in 4 stadiums, one of which is in Spain, and the biggest only holds 1500 people. Too small for them to play us in so its been switched to their national stadium that holds around 3,500, I swear you could get more in the Spotted Dog ground where Clapton play. As I write the Standard are reporting that nearly 30,000 tickets have been sold, unbelievable show of support for what is in reality a reserve pre season game, just shows you the power of marketing. If this game was the curtain raiser Pre-season friendly everyone would of laughed and we would have been lucky to get 10,000. Play in a European Tournament and we are on the verge of selling out, what is the difference? Cant say I know but it gives us a night out watching football so I’m happy as Larry, but it will be interesting to see what crowd the Werder Bremen game gets on August 2nd as the club want £20 a ticket for that game.

The beginning of July is also momentous time of the year for the club, on July the 6th it will be 10 years to the day the members of the International Olympic Committee voted by 1 vote, to award London the Olympic Games, kick starting the chain reaction that would lead to in my eyes the clubs demise, Just imagine if Paris had been awarded the games and not London. No move into the Athletics stadium for one as it wouldn't have been built. The club would of stayed at the Boleyn, some would argue that we wouldn’t have grown as a club, moved onto the next level, but what the next level is and how much it will cost to get there remains to be seen.
July 4th 1900, Thames Ironworks F.C had already been wound up, it had ceased to exist, mainly down to the fact that its benefactor Arnold Hills so disliked the professionalism creeping in to his club he decided to close it to be reformed as a professional club and so, on the 4th of July that year seven men signed a document that put in place the birth of West Ham United.
Cornelius Edward Osborn, James William Younger Cearns, George Handley, Charles Fundell, Edwin Smith, Aitken Brown and Lazzeluer Johnson were the 7 signatures on the clubs Articles of Association. 3 other men were named in the document as fellow Directors, John Byford junior, George Hone and Albert Charles Davis. The club secretary was a Welshman Lewis Bowen and he is shown far left middle row of the 1st team line up

Only Osborne lived outside the borough of West Ham, in Ilford to be precise, his job was listed as Working for the Thames Ironworks in the Sports and social club at its Premises situated at 55 Barking Road Canning Town. It was in that very place that the 7 local businessmen signed the Founding document. The building still stands today, though it is now a Café, its located opposite the Post Office just before the Canning Town roundabout next door to what was the Nat West bank when I was a kid but is now a dentists. It is believed most of the 1st Directors of the club had dealings with the Ironworks. Johnson worked there, as did A.C Davis and Jimmy Cearns, who was the first in a long line of the family to serve on the Clubs Board. Byford ran a timber company on the banks of the River Lea, Brown was a coppersmith. George Handley lived on a farm just off the modern day Newham way, located roughly where one of my schools, Cumberland Comp’s lower building, year’s later was located. Edwin smith lived in the Road I and many in Plaistow were born in, Howards Road, George Hone lived in a large house on the Romford Road. Fundell was an exception though, for he was an estate agent living on Balaam st down by the Abbey Arms Pub. Together these men came together to Form West Ham united F.C, there is no way they could of dreamed of what the club would go on to achieve, the last to die was A.C Davis in 1950, but we owe them as much as Arnold Hills for what they created brings us all together.
Arnold Hills remained a benefactor as he pledged to buy a share for every share purchased, though it is not known if he ever saw the team play. Hills actually wanted West Ham to be represented by players who were tee total, im not sure how far he got with that wish and I find it funny that one of the Lounges at the Olympic Stadium is called after him. He was himself tee total and also vegetarian, yet at the OS the club have named a lounge where alcohol will be served and meat will be eaten after a man that not only disliked professional sport but didn't Drink nor eat meet. Just shows you how much the marketing people at the club really know about the club and its roots.
My reason for boring you all with the history lesson is I have always believed that to know where you want to go, you must know how you got there.
Happy 115th Birthday West Ham United F.C

Leicester City 1967

Back in the days when over the Christmas period teams would face each other both home and away, West Ham travelled to Leicester City just 4 days after trouncing them at the Boleyn ground on Boxing Day 4-2, with a young Trevor Brooking scoring his 1st goal for the hammers, and Brian Dear with a hat-trick.
West Ham repeated the scoreline again and this time Dear followed up his Hat-trick with a double to make it 5 goals in 4 days. The 19 year old Brooking also scored, with the other goal netted by Winger Johnny Sissons.
Brian Dear claims to the player born nearest the Boleyn Ground, having been just behind the Chicken Run Stand, in 8 seasons at the club he supported and joined as a boy he played just 67 league games for the hammers netting on average a goal a every game, 33.
The curtain on his time at West Ham was brought down after he was involved in the Blackpool drinking saga in January 1970, where Brian, Clyde Best, Jimmy Greaves, Bobby Moore, and the physio Rob Jenkins were out drinking before a FA Cup game, which was lost 4-0.
While his career with West Ham ended on a sour note, Dear is still a well loved player with the older generation that saw him play and can still be found entertaining fans at various Ex Player evenings through the years.
In goal for Leicester was 18 year old Peter Shilton, in what was his breakthrough season, 29 years later, Shilton would join West ham as reserve Goalkeeper where he failed to appear at all though he made the bench often.

visit the Reel History of West Ham to view the video

1923 Cup Final

In 1923 Wembley opened its doors for the first time with the FA Cup Final featuring West Ham V Bolton Wanderers, before live television the only way to see football was Live or on the news reel shown at the cinemas before the main item.
Pathe news was the main provider of the films that now provide a window on a long forgotten time.
This Video has been put together featuring many of the different new reels from that day, also an eye witness account of the day filmed in 2007 given to the BBC.
Abide with me sung over the opening part of the video is from the FA Cup Final of 1927, Bubbles is sung by Vera Lynn

OLAS v Stoke

So it seems the rest of the fan base is starting to believe in what I have been saying all season, Sam wont get a new contract, his time at the club like his contract is running out and a new manager will be in the hot seat come August.
Some will still bang on about, this season is an improvement on last, and we should be pleased with top 10, and if you were offered this position at the start you would of taken it, which is all true, the problem is while all those things are true, it totally ignores the way it has been achieved and what preceded it. Basically there is too much in the past to ignore with Allardyce, and much of it goes against him. If this was Sam’s 1st season then I would be pleasantly surprised as for most we have performed well, we are definitely starting games set up to attack more and while he does let himself down with his substitutions, compared with the dross served up this season we have been attacking more.
Against Leicester on Saturday the defeat was hard to take, not just because they were bottom and hadn’t won for 8 games, but you could see that we didn’t settle for the point and did try to win all 3, just bad luck that we didn’t. The funny thing is he now appears to be slaughtered for no matter what he does, on Friday on the Claret & Hugh Website he was criticised for in his press conference he guarded against smashing Leicester off the park, instead he said teams at the bottom of the table around this time in the season put runs together and pull off unlikely victories. “Not good enough” screamed the many, he should be talking up how we are going to beat them not warning us we might lose. Yet BFS was spot on, not only did the foxes bite us late on, but QPR managed to win, Burnley got a point and Sunderland won as well, so all the bottom 4 picked up points against teams higher than themselves. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going soft on my stance of BFS, and to wanting him out, but I don’t believe in kicking a man just for the sake of it. It is as I said earlier though he is tainted by what has come before, this season is an improvement but it does not change the fact that the 3 previous seasons have been some of the worst football wise I can say I’ve seen. Add to the fact he obviously does not care who he upsets off the field with his criticism of fans in the past, he has overstayed his welcome in my eyes and I cant wait for him to go. I doubt if that will end the infighting amongst the fans though, but it may start the healing yet that may depend though on his successor and how he is perceived to be style wise. Moyes seems to be mentioned alot as has Raffa but I still think its too early to 2nd guess what the owners may be thinking. Season ends late this year so the less time to look around on the transfer market, though if I was a betting man, the fact that Dave Sullys special Advisor, Tony Henry, worked with Moyes at Everton could be the way DS is edging to. Moyes is an upgrade on Sam in my book but not by much and is he the man to lead the new club in 2016 upwards into the top 4, I cant see that but then I don’t think WHU can attract the caliber of manager nor players to do that. In the last 10 years only 7 clubs have finished in the top 4 with Arsenal the only team to do it every season, then Chelsea and United with 9 times. Liverpool are next then the new money of City, spurs have done it twice while Everton managed it the once exactly 10 years ago. Currently 6 of those 7 occupy the top 6 spaces, so it shows you what is required to gatecrash not only the top4 but even the top 6. And while our income goes up with the move, it must kill the notion that ticket prices can be reduced at the OS, as there is no way we can fund top 6 on £30 tickets.

Alex Song wants 100 grand a week apparently, too much for us, if the papers are to be believed, his early season form certainly said he was worth it, yet like our season, he has tailed off after Christmas, yet the old adage is, Form is temporary but class is permanent, and Song was/is definitely class, so why did we bulk at paying his demand. West Ham has a problem, the owners with the move to the Olympic Stadium have made claims that this will push us onto the next level, no longer will mid table be good enough, we are aiming for the top 4. Problem is, the top 4 costs hundreds of millions of pounds to achieve, not just in buying of players, but in their wages as well. In Alex Song we have undoubtedly a top class midfielder, one good enough to be signed by Barca after all, paying him his wages he has requested, is not just about retaining a quality player, but it also gives what’s called a statement of intent. Something that tells the fans and the other clubs, this is what we can do, this is what we are looking to achieve. The signings of Sakho & Valencia didn’t do that, but the loan capture of Song did put down a marker & his permanent signing and paying of his wages tells the outside world, we are aimig for the top. Don’t sign him, get in a cheaper option, less well known, a bit of a gamble of a player, and we tell the rest, we are still the same old West Ham, the move changes nothing, we’ve told the fans were aiming top 4 but reality is, along as we don’t go down we are happy.
Think back to when the Arabs bought Man City, they completed their deal with hours to spare of the transfer window and then rushed into the transfer market. They made a statement on intent, it cost them 33million, but the signing of Robinho told the other teams, look at us, this is where we are, this is what we are looking to achieve. In a smaller way, signing Alex Song and paying him his hundred grand a week will do that, Sadly it looks as if we wont find out if Song would sign if we offered him what its rumored he wants, it appears we wont pay him the money, they have the get out that his form post Christmas doesn’t warrant it and they can find someone just as good but cheaper, but the truth is, in football as in life, you only get what you pay for. And as I said earlier,
Form is temporary, Class is permanent.

OLAS v Chelsea

Last week a group of like minded West Ham fans met for the 1st time, the club I believe played host, they call themselves the pride of irons, and the membership is drawn from the gay community. When I 1st heard of this meeting taking place I must admit I was sceptical as to why they need something like this, I heard the founder Jim explaining why he felt compelled to set the group up on the KUMB podcast and yet I still didn't see what the need was for this group to be in existence. Why not join an existing fan group I thought, but then, their is no supporters group that represents the fans and can liaise with the club on their members behalf. They claim some chants at football can leave them feeling uncomfortable, really, what chants are they. Coming on the back of the Tottenham game and furore of what may have been sung on a tube train I thought, he we go, another attempt to bash the general fans and the songs they sing, but, at the Palace game on Saturday I heard the chants that could make them feel uncomfortable. Sung at a couple of Palace fans, "we can see you holding hands" "does he take it up the arsenal", all harmless fun it seems, I will admit that in the past I've probably sung those songs my self, and without of hearing or reading about Pride of Irons I wouldn't of thought twice about it on Saturday, but because I had heard about the group in the last week it did make me think, is it right, should we just laugh these chants off. I'm not going to pretend I know the answer or know what it's like to be offended by any chants but perhaps it is right to have the debate. I did converse with Jim on a Facebook group where I put it to him that perhaps the only way to achieve the change required is for all West Ham fans to stand together on this, to raise awareness of it and to see if those of us that think it's just a part of funny banter mocking the visiting fans to think twice. Personally I can't see it happening but i suppose without trying you won't get anywhere, so good luck to them. Hopefully though "come on you Irons" won't be deemed offensive. (Joke people, joke).
Last Thursday I attended a fans show hosted by you are the Ref website, big Sam was on the panel as was Mark Halesy, the Spanish bloke off sky Guilem Ballege and former top Referee and their boss once he retired, Keith the cheat Hackett. The Bastard of Villa Park who in one egotistical moment he destroyed or hopes of a Wembley final with the wave of his straight Red Card in Tony Gales Direction.
To be fair the evening was shambolic, held at the sports bar on the Haymarket the sound was so poor that Halesy even led a chant of sacked in morning aimed at the abysmal sound techs on duty. Sam is a great supporter of bringing in more technology, even to the point of having 2 challenges of decisions per game. During the break in procedures Access to Sam was denied by bouncers, and after the event he was out of his seat before the host had finished thanking everyone. So as my friend and I shuffled out we took the chance to door step Hackett and see If we could get a chat with him. Not only did he agree but he allowed it to be recorded for my friends podcast. Keith at first offered a handshake and I held out my hand, but then, the schoolboy in me came racing to the top, and as quick as anything at the last moment I pulled it away "no chance" I said, much to the amusement of the journalist next to Keith, you hammers never forget he said. You bet we don't I replied. I asked him about the incident and the fact that it came about after the FA instructed Refs to issue red cards for that offence on the Thursday before the game. Keith's reply was that it was true and he laid the full blame on the door of the FA for changing the rules, even to the point of telling us that when a FA rep came up to him after the game, Hackett said “A guy from the FA came up to me and said, listen if you hadn’t sent him off we would have suspended you, I told him where to go off!”
When pressed on would he apologise to West Ham Fans he Said “West Ham fans rightly gave me a lot of stick on the day and for months afterwards, someone sent me a recording with a chant every time a referee gave a bad decision at West Ham it was “Are you Hackett in disguise?” I find that mildly amusing but at the same time it reminds me perhaps of the worst decision I ever had to make in my career and i had 34 years, “There are many who watched West Ham and I ruined their day and I apologise for that, but at the same time I shoulder some of the blame at the end of the day I put blame on to the FA for making that change and the player not knowing, neither player knowing and neither manager knew about that interpretation. I remember going to the FA room and saying wow we didn’t except that was going to happen did we? that was the risk!. When we sat in that room on the Thursday [before the game] we should of said ‘Get Lost Mate’ [To the FA] we will change next season and we should have done that”
Looking back on you tube of that incident, I don't really buy it, he was so quick to go off, he didn't seem to hesitate or show anything that looked like a forced decision, to me it still looks like the action of a man who wanted to be the 1st to do it, the 1st Ref to red card a player for the offence of denying a goal scoring opportunity, Keith though now admits that ball wasn't even going towards the goal and neither was Crosby the Forest Player fouled.
All these years later why should we bothered what he has to say anyway, the reason for me why I believe it is good to hear from him is perhaps it was the start of a chain reaction of events the led to one of the greatest days I had supporting this club. The 19,000 West Ham fans there that day will never forget what went on, the sending off, the four goals, the performance of the team even with 10 men and then the fans reaction to all those events was not the modern day, I'm walking out with ½ hour still to go, No, we stood, and for about 30 minutes non stop we sung out hearts out. Watching it back this week gave me goosebumps the day is still one of those engrained in my mind shared with my best friend its only the result that was a downer, even that was tempered with the fact my old school mate (Gary Charles) from Cumberland Comp was off to fulfil every kids dream and play in a FA cup final, where he is engrained in living memory as the player gazza fcuked his knee tackling. Looking back I'm not sure I'd want that day to be any other way than the way it panned out because perhaps it may not have been as good as it was. The West Ham way is many things but our response that day to me shows it did exist in that the fans support in the face of adversity was unwavering.

If you know what a podcast is the full interview with Hackett and Sean's with Tony Gale,s response can be found at moorethanjustapodcast.com. On iTunes or just google it.
Keith Hackett don't get the last word, though we as fans do.
Billy bonds claret n blue army, Billy bonds claret n blue army Billy bonds claret n blue army.