Now, call me a cynic if you must but there is something quite distasteful that has gone on in the West Ham world for a while now and it appears that it is here to stay. The game of football has changed beyond our wildest footballing imaginations, however fundamentally it is still the game of the everymanā¦if only the any man were welcomed with open arms and allowed to drink from the same trough.
āThere is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West. Some courage and some wisdom, blended in measure. If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.ā – J.R.R. Tolkien
Of course I am not naive to expect that the West Ham that I grew up with and loved as a boy is still the same today, however I would expect some modicum of consistency that would at least fool me into thinking that it is still a club of associated individuals and of like minds and purpose. However it appears that with every passing week there is just another āsomething elseā that annoys me to the point that Iād like to buy a lorry load of rotten fish and dump it in front of the London Stadiumā¦because the whole place reeks of absurdity and vile contempt.
Every fan wishes only good things for their club and would want to be victorious in any duel, win a cup or a title here and thereā¦but fundamentally fans do notā¦or rather should not support a team for the glory that may come from it alone, but rather for the feeling of being immersed in club and with other fans that is representative of the cross section of support and from the community from which it hails.
The West Ham fanbase has been repeatedly smacked around the chops with a dirty wet rag for a few years now and everyone at the top seems to expect the fans to be appreciative and accept whatever scraps are given from the hand that feeds it. However the intergalactic rebellion over the last couple of seasons has made those masters who would rule with impunity to take stock and reverse the course of the club for goodā¦or is this wishful thinkingā¦again?
Tonight, at the London Stadiumā¦the West Ham warriors will take to the field and do battle against a struggling Stoke City and will hope to do the double over the potty pots, earn a vital three points and all but secure Premier League football for at least another season. However, come what may this evening, I am beginning to wonder whether my hopes that the club ownership would eventually do the right thing may indeed have been misplaced.
It is season ticket renewal time at the moment and whilst everyone at the club and the fans are focussing on securing enough points to save the season, it appears that the owners have gone very quiet all of a sudden. Almost too quiet, where I would have expected some news or more ambitions for the future, however the communication has once again ground to a halt.
Now, the owners and Karren Brady have been rightly criticised over the last couple of years for their many PR blunders, however it might have been a good opportunity to practice some worthwhile and effective communication with the fanbase. There is surely lots to discuss, after all isnāt there a director of football that the club should have hired by now? Arenāt there rectifications to the stadium issues that the fans need to be updated about? Isnāt there going to be a major discussion about how many funds will be made available to support the manager, whomever that might be, at the start of the next seasonā¦assuming of course that West Ham actually do survive?
Perhaps this is the same for all football fans around the world, but I get the impression at times that Iāve been invited out to a hotel bar to meet a lady friend but who stands me up. So Iām left there all alone, sobbing into my Tia Maria and Lucozade cocktail whilst getting fat on the maraschino cherries that are stuck to my toothpick. Then Iām approached and chatted up by a foxy twenty something dame, dressed to the nines and telling me everything I wanted to hearā¦only to be relieved of my valuables after believing I would be seduced by a Jessica Rabbit dressed like a devil wearing Prada Hammerette!
Now, something tells me I would be a fool for her loving ways, however as a West Ham fanā¦I would gladly go back for more. It canāt be helpedā¦it is a weakness that I have that cannot be cured, however that certainly wonāt stop me moaning about it. As fans, we expect to be respected for our support from both near and far but we also consider it standard practice to be communicated with honestly and appropriately so we know exactly what weāre buying into. The club have been failing in this regard for some time nowā¦and they must do better. The team are charged with delivering a solid performance tonight and coming away triumphantā¦We can only hope that the owners also deliver in the summer that would help to restore some faith amongst the support. Perhaps that is more wishful thinking, yet I am still a fool for her loving!