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"What an atmosphere", sorry had to do it. Looking at this site and others and just the social media and general media comment on our new stadium, I think I've realised how gullible and naive as fans we are. Before and just after we got the stadium, it was all this legal stuff, over our right to be given it. Then we were told we wouldn't fill it, then we were told the atmosphere will be crap like the Emirates. We were told all this "The Media", every other Tom, Dick and Harry and also by some of our own fans. These fans I describe as the nostalgists, who remember the smell of horse chestnuts in 1958, but actually rarely went to UP anyway. I remember plenty of quiet evenings at UP, let's not kid ourselves that it was always like it was against Man U on that last night. I remember the first times we started to hear the boos, in recent years, so let's not bite on this claim by others that the atmosphere at just the OS is crap. For 35 mins on Saturday it was up there with anything else I've heard at the old place. It also coincided with us playing some amazing football. I think our problem is that we are listening to all these outside comments and trying to prove ourselves. We started to become divisive as fans. The "Standers and Sitters". The Standers think all the sitters are tourists and the Sitters think all the Standers are inconsiderate twats. What about just the "West Ham Supporters"? Are we not all there for the same reason? Yes it's no UP, yes it's not as secure, it's a schlepp to the station, blah blah blah, but so what? If we played at Hackney Marshes I'd go and watch them because it's my team and my club. I don't need to be enticed or sold the idea of going to watch them, what's all that about? I do believe an amnesty over fans sections should be reached quickly. But please don't tell us that we're tourists if we don't stand or stop singing after watching us lose a 2-0 lead to Watford! You can sing and stand as much as you like. We all support in different ways. As for the segregation issue and opposing fans. How about, self control? You know, give the banter, but do you have to fight? Spit at women, curse in front of kids and the elderly? What happens to make these men think it's ok to do this at a football match? Those days are over, move on, you're not Ray Winston and it's not a Nick Love film set. Lastly we've become so instant mash. We had a crap hour on Saturday, embarrassing and shameful, but now Ginge must retire, Byram isn't ready, yet Oxford is? What happens if he has a bad game too? Kouyate is finished and Tomkins should never have been sold? Really? One hour of football and all these assumptions? Lots of hindsight calls as well, "I wouldn't have started with Reid and Ginge" no shit Sherlock! Didn't say that when the teams came out though? All I saw was, "this is our strongest team" stuff. Calm down take a breath guys get yourself along to a match, if you possibly can, deal with the fact we've moved and let's look forward and upwards and act fittingly to fit in with our new mega stadium. Hopefully at some point the team will join us on the new journey...
Nice post
Nice post Betty.
For starters, I know not everybody is there for the same reason. My mate was standing in front of this woman and asked if she minded. She said she was just there for the atmosphere and spent the whole match on her phone. Also we have all the corporate hospitality seats around the dugout whereas we never had all that before coz I had a season ticket near the dug out.
I'm not bothered about the walking to and from the station, it's a much quicker journey for me and not like that ridiculous long queue and wait like UPton Park station.
I'm a sitter except the usual times for bubbles, goals, chances and controversies. Self control for others would be great but not everybody has that and especially when stewards are physically trying to force people back down into their seats, not when people are being told to sit down within seconds of bubbles finishing, and not when people are being antagonised by the board with letters saying sit down or be banned for life. Bit excessive don't you think?
With regards the team....People want to give young Reece a chance. He's done well most times he's played and we don't want to lose him to Manchester or Arsenal or whoever. Give the boy a go. That wasn't our strongest team Saturday. Where was Ogbonna during all this? He'd be the 1st CB on my team sheet. Byram isn't ready for the PL, but he's better than Antonio at RB. And what was that all about? 1st time I remember Antonio getting found out was against Swansea last year but still until the Chelsea game, he was still getting played there.
The stadium is great though, the atmosphere was indeed awesome for 35 minutes on Saturday. The best I've heard it there so far. Atmosphere has been getting gradually better. Fans are getting their voices back. It was quiet to start with though. People had to get used to their surroundings with new neighbours etc. It was very very empty with 10 minutes to go though. What I haven't heard as much as I used to is all the hilarious songs to the subs I used to hear before at Upton Park.
Good post, it makes a lot of
Good post, it makes a lot of sense, there seems to be a huge divide between fans at the moment and like you I don't get all this fighting between ourselves on the terraces or trying to get to the away fans, rugby has always had fans in together and never had an issue so it only tells us the mindset of some football fans, and from the pictures I've seen it's mainly middle aged blokes not youngsters
Alright Chipster good to see
Alright Chipster good to see you back mate. You're right it's a lot of the greya and bald brigade involved. No doubt some old dear's son, a father, husband , maybe granddad. They probably don't get out enough, coz they're missus won't let them, so once off the leash they start drinking at 11:00 like they're on a Galsweigan stag do and go mental.
Cheers mate, always amazes me
Cheers mate, always amazes me that only football seems to attract these idiots in large numbers.