westhamfans.org

There’s been a lot of speculation over the last year or so about Declan Rice moving on to pastures new, and those rumours have gathered pace in the last couple of weeks in the tabloids and on social media. £70m is the fee being touted. Is it enough? And if he does go, where does that leave West Ham and their midfield?

Until the season was temporarily curtailed, most Barclays Premier League teams had or previously were afflicted by substantial injury lists, the hustle and bustle and frenetic nature of the 'best football league in the World' means players pick up far more injuries than their European and Continental counterparts.

In the light of the current and future crisis that will impact so heavily on people's lives, The Barclays Premiership clubs are preparing themselves for 'life after doomsday'. No club big or small, whether owned by a sovereign state or a rich Oligarch or who ever, will be immune from the impact and fallout from the Covid-19 Pandemic, some could 'go to the wall' unless they seriously reduce their expenditure, so what news is coming out of West Ham United?

The contentious issue as to whether the Barclays Premier League should be continued, null and voided or decided on a 'Duckworth Lewis' type sliding scale, looks set to rumble on with Government directives still vague as to when or if it is safe and practical for 'project re-start' to actually happen. Baroness Brady did the Irons no favours by prematurely stating that the season should be declared null and void, and although her opinion was shared by many other club directors, she did put West Ham United on the spot because of the club's self interest in avoiding relegation.

As of 11:30 am on the 10th of May, at least 31,587 people have died after testing positive for coronavirus in the United Kingdom, the average capacity of Barclays Premier League clubs from the smallest, which is Bournemouth, to the largest which is Old Trafford, is 39,380. Ten grounds hold fewer than the tragic amount of people who have already died, perhaps a salient point for the accountants to bare in mind when they sit down to debate the terms of 'project re-start'.

In what initially seems like an extraordinary gesture of 'generosity', West Ham United co-owner and majority share holder David Sullivan has vowed to retain the 'cream' of the club's players despite the massively challenging financial situation brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. Hurrah, but what does he actually mean and what are the reasons behind his proclamation?

The London Stadium has been much maligned by long suffering Hammers' fans as a result of having moved from the 'hallowed' Boleyn Ground, apart from the obvious ie: the ground not really being fit for purpose, there was a general feeling of 'disconnection' experienced by those that attended matches mainly due to the distance between the pitch and the crowd.

How bored will you be with the football season being canceled? The coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc in the sports calendar world, leading to the cancellation of major sporting events, including football. Those that have not been canceled have been postponed to future dates. These disruptions have caused a sense of loss and confusion to all football fans who are used to following the matches, track the stats, and cheering their favorite teams on the arena.

On Friday representatives of the twenty Barclays Premier League football clubs will convene to discuss the possibility of resuming the season that has been suspended since the second week in March. When they do sit down to video chat, perhaps they should pause for a moment and remember the 'insanity' of letting the Liverpool champion's league match go ahead against Atletico Madrid at Anfield, which had over 3,000 visiting fans, despite much of Spain being in lock down.

There isn't a great deal to laugh about during the current crisis, so perhaps a touch of schadenfreude might be in order if it is concentrated on those bastions of honesty, the football agents! You can see them now, down to their last pair of loafers without socks and feeling the strain as there are no clubs for them to 'stalk' in their usual manner.