A time for giving

Very quiet on the board today so I thought I'd share a story that was brought to my attention by an unfortunate chap that works alongside me. Sometimes you read or hear something that really hits home and makes you think of others less fortunate than ourselves, especially this time of the year.

It's quite a long one and a lot to take in but it’s so honest…

"The football / matchday experience has taken a massive nosedive. No local West Ham pubs, 'pubs' not wanting 'colours' in after the match, keep out of Westfield, no independent match day stalls / burger vans, the demise of OLAS, the urban edginess that gave West Ham the upper hand over our rivals in the build up to the match, that history of the fans being frighteningly close to the action, ex-professionals 'not looking forward to playing at the Boleyn, nowhere for a non-corporate pie and mash, supporters club, working mans club, Ken's cafe, Green street cafe, Bobby Moore cancer research girls shaking the tin, the hustle and bustle of match day with the sights / sounds / smells / songs ATMOSPHERE that goes with it.

It's all gone.

Instead we have the touts making the loudest noise on the way to the ground which is like a retreat from a long lost battle field as people trudge desolately towards the concrete bowl which is now our home. People standing / sitting outside in the bloody cold drinking a pint from a plastic up for £4.70 before queuing up in long tedious lines as we are all searched for goodness knows what.

Toilets with one way in and one way out for the gents - a joke.

Queues for £4.10 pies the most expensive in the EPL served by disinterested people without an idea who West Ham are. Hundreds of stewards (mainly non Hammers fans) ambling around hardly knowing what to do with little regard for our match day.
An athletics stadium with not one but 2 running tracks if you include the awful gap between the upper and lower tier on 3 sides of the ground. Retractable seating is now relocatable seating which is basically scaffolding in any anyone's language - hardly innovative Ms. Brady. 3rd party involvement has caused absolute mayhem and has ostracised a number of the club's support whether it be casual or hardcore.

The acoustics of the stadium are only any good when we all join in but that rarely happens. The team needs to play better, it needs to be better but a woeful summer transfer window has seen us go markedly backwards"

If you do see the claret and blue on our streets this Christmas, please give what you can. Times are tough.

If you can't manage that maybe join me in a toast instead to our chairman Daniel Levy

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!