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.

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.