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.

5 years on

5 years today the Dave’s rode in to save the club from extinction, and we should all be so grateful, well that is what many fans believe but im not one of them.
I must admit though that 5 years ago I was pleased they had got the club for DG I had known was a great supporter of the club and always admitted the fact when interviewed as owner of Birmingham City. I cant say I knew that of Sully though but ill take his word that he was a west ham fan, after his family left Cardiff. When they managed to get their hands on the club I did think that they would know the value of the area and how to treat the loyalty of the fans that had stuck by the club while they were feathering their nest in Birmingham, in my opinion sadly I was wrong. At their 1st press conference they set their stall out to reduce the debt and move the club to the Olympic Stadium. Dave Sullivan said they bought it as fans not as businessmen, im sure many may agree with that but in the last 5 years many of their actions are not that of fans. They tried to squirm their way out of the Season ticket discount, claiming no knowledge though the SAB had raised this matter with senior club officials so if they didn’t know, those running the club on their behalf did. In the end they honored it, but in the process tried using blackmail tactics on those not to take the full 20% discount by saying it would hamper their transfer dealings. If that was the case why pay Karen Brady a Million pound bonus for the OS stadium move, did that not hamper us in the transfer market as that was more than the 20% discount to the Season ticket holders, a discount sold as a reward to those that for 5 years continued to renew largely through some of the worse times that the club had gone through. If that was not bad enough the next season we had the Disabled ticket 100% price rise, though after a backlash it was reduced to 50%. Funny how the original price rise letter was sent out by the clubs disabled liaison officer, yet the 2nd letter informing that it will be only 50%, was sent by Karren Brady, Riding in to save the day. I’m only guessing but I am sure 50% was above inflation though. Ok what about the deliberate cutting of away ticket allocations, the club has to pay up front for away tickets so unlike in the past where they have taken the largest amount they switched to taking the smallest amount, thus stopping the maximum amount of fans from travelling to away games. Not very Fan friendly. Neither was the clubs use of Viagogo to sell unsold match-day tickets cheaper than the season ticket holders could buy them for. Is that the action of fans, not in my book? The community ticket sham where tickets were sold for £5 to chosen local groups on a category A game, this was a game not advertised as a community ticket game in advance and it was only admitted after photos of the £5 tickets were circulated. Then there is the move to the Olympic Stadium, 1 month after taking over the club, Dave Sullivan on the BBC was reported as saying “football and running tracks don’t work, the fans are just too far away” yet over 40,000 of the 54 000 seats will still be behind the running track, even with retractable seating. Then we have the claim of affordable football for all, though who the all are I’ve not found out because it doesn’t extend to the season ticket holders who will pay comparable to what they pay now. 5 years ago in his press conference Dave Sullivan said “if we can have a huge ground we can reduce ticket prices and take football back to the people”. He then continued “we could have the cheapest premier league prices in the country and that is part of our strategy”. Since he made that claim my Season ticket has gone up over £50, not bad considering everything else but how does that sit with his claim when taking over the club. Don’t forget that the income from TV money since they have come in far outstrips anything they would have imagined or budgeted for, only once the club reveal the true ticket prices for the OS can a judgment be made properly, but considering last season the cheapest match day tickets in the premier were around £20. In fact in price comparison last season we had the 4th dearest cheap seat, the 6th dearest expensive seat, the 6th most expensive adult match day ticket and the 3rd dearest cheap adult match day ticket. So hands up who thinks when we go to the OS we will have the cheapest match day tickets and be taking the game back to the people.
I’m sure you will read much this week about how much better things are since the 19th of January 2010 when the two Dave’s bought their controlling stake in the club, but I’m afraid that to some, and I am one, they are not the saviours many like to proclaim.

Olas V WBA The Two Daves Xmas Special

Football at xmas is great, gets us out the house and away from the endless repeats on TV, some though are timeless and i must admit to being a big fan of the 2 Ronnie’s and Morecambe & Wise, and to that end I submitted a script to WHUTV for what I think could be a winner on their unloved and unwatched TV Channel. Basically it starts with DS & DG reading West Ham news,

DG “it’s been announced today that West Ham manager Sam Allardyce is to be offered a new contract”
DS “EE have said he can have 600 minutes and unlimited texts and data”
DG “The pentagon announced that Osama Bin Laden was buried in a West Ham shirt”
DS “The spokesman said it was to ensure he stayed at the bottom”
DG “A burglary was recently committed at West Ham’s ground and the entire contents of the trophy room were stolen”
DS “The police are looking for a man with a claret & blue carpet”
DG “and finally Thousands of fans were left disappointed at not receiving tickets for the rugby world cup at the Olympic Stadium”
DS “to soften the blow they were told that they can have 10 each for West Hams opening fixture at the Stadium when they move in”

Next they cut to short sketch set in a cash converter, where DS is the shop owner and DG is the Customer,

DS “can I help you sir”
DG “Yeah, see that video over there, West Ham the golden years, how much is it?”
DS “That sir is £300”
DG “£300, are you Having a laugh, just for 1 video”
DS “Oh No Sir, just the video is a fiver, but for the Beta max player to play will cost you £295”.

The next sketch featured Dave Sullivan walking round the supermarket doing some shopping for Carlton Cole who was feeling Poorly, he bumps into Harry Redknapp while in the vegetable section, when Harry askes DS what he’s doing there, he replies, “Getting a bag of Potato’s for Carlton Cole” to which Harry walks of saying “Sounds like a fair swap to me”
Quickly followed by a scene at a game with DS and in the directors box
DS is watching West Ham from his usual seat but for some reason sat next to him this week is a man with a dog. West Ham is playing really badly on this particular day but every time they get possession the dog starts to bark with encouragement. In the 85th minute they get their first corner of the game and the dog goes absolutely mental. "Why does your dog do that?" asks the DS "I don't know, he's a West Ham fan, it's just what he's like" replies the owner. "So what does he do when we score?" DS asks. "Well I don't really know, I've only had him a year....."

Then we have DG and DS with Sam, DS is trying to get Sam to play football his way, Sam is having none of it, DS keeps telling him he playing all the wrong moves, but Sam comes back and says, “I’m playing all the right moves, just not in the right order”

Finally we get the big musical number with Sam singing his version of “Changing Man” By Paul Weller
Is happiness real or are you all jaded?
Can't you see i feel like a man been tainted
Numbed by the effect, aware of the muse
I like to touch myself before I light the fuse
I'm the changingman,
Built on shifting sand, yeah
I'm changingman
Waiting for the bang, As I light a bitter fuse
Song on loan, only ours to borrow
ours for today, but may be not tomorrow
Yea, all I see, the more I know
The more I know, the less you understand
I'm the changingman
Built on shifting sands
Yea
I'm a changingman
I'm waiting for the bang
To light a bitter fuse
Bigger part ahh, when my instincts act
A shot in the box, a long pass back, yea
More I see, more I know
The more I know, the less I understand you
I'm the changingman
Built on shifting sands
Yea
I'm a changingman
I' m waiting for the bang
To light a bitter fuse
And finally it’s a good night from me, and a goodnight from him.
Happy new year everyone, The good times are back.

Olas V Swansea, Whats Entertainment

We want entertaining football, was the cry by many of the disillusioned last season, fed up with the its all about the point football served up by BFS and his players, but what is Entertaining football, who deems a game entertaining and surely it is an individual taste, some may have thought that winning is entertainment enough. George Best believed that football should be entertaining and he did his best to do just that, none so than his cameo at Fulham where he teamed up Rodney Marsh, the two of them were like the Morecambe and Wise of football in one game tackling each other as Fulham put on a show V Hereford, luckily the Big Match Cameras were there to witness so im sure youll find it on You tube, but what about at West Ham, we have been lucky to have been blessed with some of the best, Brooking, Devonshire, Ward, Mcavennie, Di Canio just off the top of my head but as I said, Entertainment is subjective, I’m sure many will say Bonds thundering around was just as entertaining as Brooking gliding across the park, though Billy was my hero as a kid, I never thought of him as Entertaining. What of our Modern day squad, do we have an individual entertainer, because I couldn’t pick 1 individual out, Valencia may be at a push, Downing is having the season of his Career if you ask me, but as a team together, I cant believe anyone could say we haven’t been entertained this season so far, either at the Boleyn or on the road. I Cant believe im actually saying that a Sam Allardyce team has entertained me, and I can’t lie, I’m loving coming to games, looking forward to the next game as soon as the current one has finished. I would like to say long may it continue but people may see that as a stamp of approval of Sam to continue in the job past May, while at the moment I’m still in the “Shake his hand and say thanks but no thanks” camp, if Sam Delivers the the FA Cup final, or European football, then hell may possibly have frozen and he would of deserved another contract, just 1 year though, I wouldn’t go over board.
The Jam sang about That’s Entertainment, but that was perhaps a look at working class life in a sarcastic way, but what if Paul Weller was a West Ham fan and has been inspired to write the song about what he had witnessed over the years at the Boleyn or on our travels around the country. For years we have been entertained watching West Ham and long may it continue, and so I give you the West Ham version,(by me), of The Jams That’s Entertainment, it may work better if you check the song out first on you tube or were ever you get your music from. I hope it works.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-H0uIH5HHQ



The Boleyn Ground packed with singing supporters
Bubbles sung on terraces of concrete
Night time games under the lights
Brooking plays a pass without even thinking
That's entertainment, that's entertainment
The sound of grass being trampled by boots
an Inter-city train and a smashed up phone box
Thick woolly scarves and a 2 team bobble hat
lights going out as Lampard scores
I said
that’s entertainment that’s entertainment

draws for the cup made on a Mondays
pissing down with rain in Oldham on Valentines
watching the goals from behind a pillar
a Pop Robson hat trick while doing the Millwall
i say
that’s entertainment that’s entertainment

waking up at 6am on a Saturday morning
Queing at the turnstyles while trying to bunk in
A Julien Dicks tackle as he goes in hard
walking out the ground and thinking about the next game

that’s entertainment that’s entertainment

walking up Green street while smoking cigarettes
Nathans pie n mash and bags of stale Peanuts
a hot Pukka pie and Bovril like tarmac
Boxing Day at Upton park and wishing we’re not away
that’s entertainment that’s entertainment

Frankie and Cottee combining at Chelsea
Billy and Johnny embracing at Wembley
bringing the cups back on roofs of buses
saying goodbye to Bobby while standing at the gates

that’s entertainment that’s entertainment

Olas v Newcastle

A recent study claimed the Boleyn was the one of if not the quietest ground in the Premier league, now I do find that hard to believe, I realise it's not the wall of noise that we had back in the old days when terracing wrapped around the stadium but I can't believe we are quieter than Arsenal, and considering the study was done this season I still struggle to see how that outcome was reached. This season has been refreshing in the difference in the performances compared to last season, the crowd has been a buzz from before kick offs let alone during the games, and it has been a joy coming to games. Even in defeat this season 3 out of the 4 defeats have been by the odd goal in games where justifiably you could argue West Ham didn't deserve to lose. I'm often asked what I know think of BFS and the change he has brought about,infact it's such a change it's as if he's going through a male menopause. I normally just say I think Big Sam has been kidnapped by aliens and replaced with a carbon copy who looks the same, speaks the same, but Footballing wise is the complete opposite to what he used to be.
Back to us fans and what the future make up of us will be. It's no big surprise that the local supporter is a dying breed if not virtually extinct, I'm not sure how many in the ground today were born in West Ham or the surrounding environs but it will be a significant minority, with the move as well, opening up the ability of getting in to games much easier with the 20,000 extra seats available, the rise of football tourism will only continue. West Ham already has a healthy amount of foreign support attending here, but majority of them are supporters of the club, the reason I mention this is on Monday I met with a company that are looking to set up a business to enable fans from abroad, predominately Chinese at first, to experience football in the company of other fans, so they get the authentic football experience, basically the host fan will act as a tour guide for the day. I went mainly out of curiosity, I'm not a great lover of football tourists, especially after the Argentina v Croatia game held at this very ground recently were the majority around me seemed more interested in getting selfies with Messi in the background than they did watching the game, but perhaps I could be of use as a so called host. After the meeting I must admit I'm not convinced, my initial scepticism was not eased. West Ham are not a club the Chinese take great interest in and I got the feeling that the ones using this service wouldn't actually enjoy a pint in the Boleyn, pie mash in Nathan's before legging it into the ground just as the teams walk out. They'd want something different, which considering they would be paying for this service is no surprise, but as I pointed out, it wouldn't be the authentic experience if it was fine dinning and a chance to meet Tony Cottee. Perhaps I am a dinosaur clinging to a bygone day, being by passed by modern football, but nearly everyone my age I speak to agrees that football was better in the eighties than it ever has been since the premier league was Born, but yet we still come. The move will see the end of football as we all know it, but the thought of having thousands of Chinese with no affection for the club, grabbing selfies in front of the Statue of Bobby in its new position in champions place outside the OS, fills me with dread. A bit of me realises that's not the modern PC outlook to have these days, but that's just the way I feel, genuinely worried about what will become of us once the end has come.
Still I could bring my fears up at the next SAB meeting as despite the wholesale sacking of all previous 120 members, and with only 65 spaces up for grabs, the club still saw fit to allow 1 half of the 2 SAB members that voted no to the OS back in, so I suppose I must be doing something right.

The Demise and Fall of WHU (2010)

This is my 1st ever article that appeared on the PFA website back in the summer of 2010, I recently discovered it while clearing out my old laptop.
perhaps it encapsulates the real west ham way in that if something can go wrong, it will go wrong. iI hope you enjoy reading it.

THE DEMISE AND FALL OF WEST HAM UTD (2010)


In the past few seasons the trials and tribulations of west ham seem to have been planned out by script writers for East enders ,with a cliff hanger at the end of most seasons .
Ever since we dispensed with Harry Redknapp’s services we have lurched from one near disaster to another, I remember when Redknapp was sacked thinking a bit harsh but he had seemingly taken the club as far as he could (3 top 10 finishes in a row before avoiding relegation with 42 points the season he was sacked), where the board went wrong was not in his dismissal but not having his replacement lined up ,in the end glen Roeder was promoted to manager by default and so triggering the start of the demise, within 2 years west ham are (bravely ) relegated as if written by the scriptwriters with the record amount of points any team went down with ,not only that but at this years world cup 5 possible England players ( James, Johnson, Carrick, J Cole and Defoe) all appeared for the hammers that season, the board then lied to the fans in saying that we shouldn’t panic and we would only need to sell 3 players to balance the books ,half the squad was gone by Christmas, and with Paul Inces star falling the scriptwriters deliver us Jermain Defoe our new pantomime villain.
The first season in the championship gives us more ups and downs than the big dipper at Blackpool ,
Roeder dispatched after 3 games ,Brooking back temporarily (only losing once) while we wait for Alan Pardew to be released by Reading after a trip to the high court. We make the playoffs where we lose in the final to a crystal palace team who were bottom at Christmas were managed by an ex hammer ,and fan, in Ian Dowie but also only made the playoffs on the last day of the season when (scriptwriters at work again) Brian Deane equalised with the last touch of the game for west ham away at Wigan , knocking Wigan out of the playoffs letting in crystal palace, who dispatch us in a very dull game, still always next season.
Pardew first full season is dull, dull, dull , but we scrape into the playoffs ,there the gods ,or the scriptwriters, are smiling on us ,back to the premiership at last.
In the Premiership the sun is always smiling, the football seems to be more entertaining ,and the best players in the world turn up on your doorstep every two weeks, life is good ,and as if to prove this after signing Dean Ashton in January we end up with an end of season knees up back in Cardiff for the 3rd year running only this time it’s the fa cup final v Liverpool ,a game we could enjoy more than the previous two trips to Cardiff as the existance of the club was not riding on it. Unbelievably with only just injury time left (cue the typewriter) Steven Gerrard scores probably one of the greatest cup goals and the FA cup is cruelly ripped from our grasp ,still we still have Europe to look forward too next season..
As season 06/07 approaches all seems good in the east end garden , yet the dark clouds are beginning to gather ,little did we know this was not a storm ,it was more like hurricane Katrina , yet it began with what we hammers fans thought was the coup of the season . On transfer deadline day west ham parade Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano at Upton park . Two world class players what could go wrong. Well how about illegal contracts , the club being sold , not to Tevezs agent who couldn’t raise the funds we were told , but to two Icelandics , lies told to tribunals to avoid points deduction settling on a 5 million pound fine. On top of this Pardew is sacked to be replaced by our long lost son Alan Curbishly. We are now in the eye of the hurricane yet in the pouring rain of Manchester west ham manage to avoid relegation with a win at already champions united, who else but Tevez scores the goal ,west ham stay up ,Sheffield united are relegated in their own topsey turvey game where an ex player scores a last minute penalty to condemn them ,and as if the scriptwriters were working a double shift ,keeping his new team ,Wigan ,in the prem, and just to top it all off he (David Unsworth) is a former hammer as well ,but in staying up west ham have sold their sole to the devil and undone the previous 110 years of history ,west ham are know probably the most hated team in the premiership, we used to be one of the so called second favourite teams of fans ,liked for our loyalty to managers and for (trying) to play football the correct way yet not succeeding ,oh and for producing the core of the world cup 66 team.
Some would say the Icelandic's got what they deserved (bankruptcy ) they had to hand the club over to a bank (which itself is bankrupt)and leave with nothing ,yet they have been replaced by two men who may be west ham fans but they have continued to make us even more of a laughing stock with their constant public spouting's and the way they dismissed Franco Zola ,the Chelsea legend who despite having the worst managerial record in my time following the hammers (middle 1970s) still managed to keep the fans on his side .
Hopefully the hurricane has blown away ,the scriptwriters have been sacked, and we can get off the ride as im starting to feel sick . As a new season approaches I feel optimistic about the future ,then again I have felt that way before and with the two David's running the show i think it will still be a bumpy ride.

Sullivan declares the West Ham way is Back

In the London standard Friday Dave Sullivan declared that the West Ham way is back but if you you've ever wondered what that is, here is an old Olas article from around 2011

Since the arrival of Sam Allardyce much has been made of his so called style of football and whether it fits in with the fans demands over the clubs need to return to the premier league. Sam himself acknowledged this when hired back in the summer, alluding to the so called West Ham way, he said "That history that West Ham have I am very well aware of and we will play the West Ham way with the players we have got to achieve the ultimate, and that's winning football matches,he then followed that up with " “What is the West Ham way? Being relegated? No fan wants that.”
But what is the West Ham way, and what are its origins,
Its birth can be traced back to a quote by former manager Ron Greenwood "The crowds at West Ham have never been rewarded by results but they keep turning up because of the good football they see. Other clubs will suffer from the old bugbear that results count more than anything. This has been the ruination of English soccer."
Greenwood took over at West Ham in 1961 and during his time came perhaps West Hams golden period, Bobby Moore,backed up by fellow youth products Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters lifted 3 trophies in succession culminating with the world cup win in 1966. Yet during Greenwood and Moore's time together and with three world cup winners in the team the highest league finish achieved was 6th, scant reward for the tens of thousands of East Londoners that game after game turned up at the Boleyn Ground. What made those fans keep coming back, well the answer is in Greenwoods quote, The good football they saw, which was born out of England's 6-3 defeat to the Puskas inspired Hungarians at Wembley. That single game influenced so many of this countries top coaches, exposing England's staid outdated tactics. One watching was Malcolm Allison, West Ham's captain at the time. He was allowed to organise coaching sessions at the time and set about changing the tactics at the club, he and other players at the time used to sit in a local cafe using salt and pepper pots to plan their new way of playing. Ron Greenwood was able to build on this when he took over and he was fortunate that West Ham youth set up was churning out the stars of the future, educated on the plans first laid out by Allison.
Style over substance, football to be played in a positive attacking way, and here lies part of reason of west Ham's failure to get any where near the top prize of a league title. So busy in playing positive attacking football that it seems the defensive side of the game was neglected, even with the great Bobby Moore at its heart. The season after West Ham's, sorry, England's world cup win, the hammers finished in a lowly 16th spot out of 22, boasting amazingly the 2nd best ranked attack that season averaging 1.9 goals per game, but they were let down by the 20th best ranked defence conceding 2 goals on average per game. If ever a season best exampled "The West Ham way" it could be that one.
All of the above occurred before i was born in West Ham in 1969, being born and brought up in the area there was only one club i could support, i cant even remember my 1st time at the Boleyn as i was a babe in my mothers arms as she stood on the terraces.My Football education increased in 1977 when my uncle secured 2 season tickets for us, and there in that 1st season of regular attendance that i began to discover my own take on the West Ham way, for that year for only the 2nd time in our history we were relegated from the top flight,just 2 years after appearing in an European final.
West Ham stuck by the then manager John Lyall, allowed him to rebuild the team and just 2 years later West Ham were celebrating winning the F.A cup. Celebrating for the 2nd time in 5 years a cup victory the 10 year old me could be forgiven for thinking that this was how it would always be, and in a way it has been, the highs of relative success quickly followed by a low. Lyall built a team that in 1986 came the closest any had done in winning the title, finishing 3rd behind the merseyside duo, Liverpool and Everton. Fast forward 3 years and relegation back to the 2nd tier of English football, paying the price of failing to build on that 86 team and selling off star home grown player Tony Cottee.
This pattern is repeated time and time again, 5th under Redknapp in the Premier league in 2000, 7th under Roeder in 2002, Relegated in 2003. If Carlsburg did relegations that that would be the one. No team has ever gone down from the Premiership with that amount of points,42. Not only that but it is possible thee team that should have been too good to go down. David James, Glen Johnson, Joe Cole, Jermaine Defoe, Trevor Sinclair, Michael Carrick, all current or future England stars, Throw in Di Canio and Freddie Kanoute and i still cant believe that team went down, but then that could be part of the West Ham way as well. Through all this though the fans have never left, still coming back game after game.
Fast forward to 2011 and after another relegation the clubs owners, in chasing a swift return to the top flight, appoint Sam Allardyce. A man whose football style is perhaps alien to what West Hams is supposed to be, he preferring the more direct brand of statistical football reliant on pro zone and not the type pioneered at our club by Allison and Greenwood and carried on by the legend that is Johnny Lyall, of football played for the entertainment of the paying crowd, on the floor passing laced with individual skill. Maybe not delivering the results they should, but give me the unpredictable quality of Paolo Di Canio every day over the goal scoring but often anonymous during the game Kevin Nolan.
I for one cant wait for a return of the West Ham Way.