Daily WHUFC News - 12th February 2016

Westley upbeat despite defeat
WHUFC.com

Reflecting on the Development Squad's first defeat in four months, Terry
Westley said his youthful side would learn valuable lessons from the defeat
to Swansea City. The Hammers started the game brightly and their superiority
was rewarded when Grady Diangana netted his first goal at U21 level with a
clinical finish at the near post. However the visiting Swans refused to be
cowed, and their persistence was rewarded with two fine long range strikes
from Adam King and Tom Sheehan. Speaking at full time, Academy director
Westley said: "On balance, you have to say they deserved it based on their
second half performance. "We really should have capitalised on our early
chances, and had we done that it might have been a different story. That is
one of several lessons we'll take from tonight."
With a number of regular Dev Squad starters out on loan gaining valuable
first team experience elsewhere, Westley named a youthful line-up that
included seven players who still qualify for the U18 side, with a further
three coming on from the bench. This ploy of promoting players above their
age groups has been a feature of Westley's tenure at the club and the
rewards are evident. He continued: "All teams lose at one point or another,
there's no shame in our performance or result tonight, we just weren't at
the level we have been over the last few weeks and months. "We need to keep
our focus and concentration, yes we're playing young players but we can't
use that as an excuse, this is a great opportunity for all our players to
stand up and say 'Yes, I'm ready for this level. "This result should also be
taken in context. It's our first in 12 games, and we've got a semi-final to
look forward to. All the while, we have a number of players out on loan
beginning to make a name for themselves and will hopefully one day come back
and make an impact for our first team."

The Development Squad next play on Monday 22 February away at Wolverhampton
Wanderers.

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Slaven Speaks - Norwich City
WHUFC.com

Ahead of the Hammers' trip to Carrow Road on Saturday, Slaven Bilic held his
pre-match press conference. During the briefing, the manager fielded a range
of questions from team news, facing the Canaries and feeding of Tuesday
night's victory...

Good morning, is there a feel good factor after Tuesday's result or do you
have to guard against fatigue?

SB: "Well, we have a few knocks and injuries but overall it's a good
feeling. Even those guys with a knock, they feel good. When you win you
don't feel the fatigue as much. 120 minutes is of course a lot to play, but
we are all looking forward to the Norwich game on Saturday."

Of those injuries, what can you tell us about them? How will that effect
your plans for Saturday?

SB: "We have a situation with Joey O'Brien and Winston Reid, they both
injured hamstrings, they are having a scan today and then we will know. "We
have also James Tomkins who is out for five weeks, they are three big
defenders for us, it's not a great situation. "I think the knocks are going
to be OK for Saturday. Cheikhou Kouyate is OK, he is doing well, but because
of the rules he can't play because he was unconscious. It's a big blow for
us of course, but we will put a strong team out. Alex Song is back, we have
enough to put a very strong team out.
"On Sunday, Manuel Lanzini will train with the team which is obviously a big
boost for us. If everything goes well, he could feature against Blackburn
Rovers next Sunday."

Is Norwich the kind of game you have to win in order to stay in the Top Six?

"Well, we go to Norwich knowing that we lost our last league game away at
Southampton. It is a good game to bounce back; we absolutely need to get
something from the game. It'll be a hard game because they have lost five
games in a row but before that they were in a very comfortable position. In
the transfer window they did really good, they spent money and got good
players. They need a result like crazy so we are expecting a very tough
game."

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Retro Hammer: Thomas Hitzlsperger- Where is he now?
February 10, 2016
thewesthamway.co.uk
Joe Difford

Just 23 minutes into his West Ham debut against Burnley, Thomas Hitzlsperger
scored an unbelievable goal from outside the area with his deadly left foot,
but what has the German been up to since leaving the Boleyn Ground in 2011?

Hitzlsperger managed just 13 appearances in claret and blue due to an injury
that kept him out of action until February. He scored three goals, but
somehow still managed to win over the Hammers fans, despite his short spell
at the club.

After seeing his side drop down to the Championship and having his contract
terminated, the midfielder was fined £750 and given six points for speeding,
going a whopping 107mph on the A14 in Suffolk. Luckily for him, he wasn't
handed a ban, using the excuse that he had no club and needed his Range
Rover to drive round the country and find a new job; love the creativity!

He joined Wolfsburg later that summer, but only made six appearances, before
seeing his contract terminated yet again and joining Everton, where he
played in nine games before, you guessed it, being released.

It hasn't been a straightforward life after football for the German
international, who retired in 2013, despite having offers from a number of
clubs. He cited the strain of transfers and injuries for his early hanging
up of his boots, stating that, "I've noticed: I need something else."

Off the pitch, Hitzlsperger has worked as a blogger for a German anti-racism
website called Störungsmelder, and became the first 'high-profile'
footballer to openly reveal his homosexuality, which he said was only
realised later in life, after an eight-year relationship with his
girlfriend, Inga.

Footballers are cursed with a rather negative stereotype, with many
believing them to be less intelligent or politically, economically or
culturally aware due to their lack of further education, but Thomas studied
investment strategies whilst in England. Not only that, but he regularly
visited the Bank of England during his time at Aston Villa and West Ham, in
order to discuss finance with the bank's governor, who is conveniently a
Villa fan.

He may not have had a very active footballing career after his time at Upton
Park, but Thomas Hitzlsperger is a great example of how a footballer can use
his status to bring awareness to issues surrounding sexuality, racism and
economics; and he had one hell of a left foot.

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Farewell Boleyn
February 11, 2016
thewesthamway.co.uk
Dave Walker (S*x, Drugs & Carlton Cole)

Putting pen to paper about the Boleyn Ground feels more like a eulogy than
an article. This is because I know these words are in tribute to something
that has not only been a massive part of my life for nearly thirty years but
something that I know will be destroyed and converted into something that
has no emotional value to me and that is a heart wrenching realization.

My first home game was on a cold Tuesday night against Plymouth Argyle in
1991 and I remember it so well. My Dad had spent the previous week trying to
convince my Mum to let him take me on a school night, "I`ve got to take him
to a game under the lights, he`ll love it" he said. On the day of the game,
a couple of hours before kick-off we did what we have done ever since and
joined the lengthy queue for Nathans on the Barking Road. Whilst my Dad was
effortlessly demolishing his double pie and mash, he started to tell me what
West Ham meant to him and why. Not just the football club but everything
that goes with it, everything it represents.

After we had eaten, I remember feeling completely overwhelmed by the buzz
around Barking Road and Green Street. The big crowds, the smell of the
burger vans, the clouds of cigarette smoke, the chants from the different
fanzine sellers on each corner, the rowdy, intimidating atmosphere oozing
from the Boleyn pub and of course the random war cry of "Irons" to remind
the away fans of exactly where they were. For me, this experience was just
beautiful. I felt such a strong sense of belonging and Dad`s words in
Nathans suddenly started to resonate with me. I understood it because I felt
it, I knew I was part of something special and Upton Park was a home from
home. I had never felt anything like it.

When it was time to go to our seats (which were situated in the upper West
Stand) finding the words to describe the feeling of climbing that final step
and seeing the Stadium in all of it`s glory for the first time is pretty
much impossible. It was a feeling I will never forget.

As the players emerged from the tunnel, the Bubbles anthem engulfed the
Boleyn Ground and to this day, the hairs stand up on the back of my neck
every time the music stops and the song continues in acapella from the words
"Fortunes always hiding". To hear over 30,000 home fans come together and
sing that song in unison is spectacular. I think a lot of it is to do with
the fact that the song itself is literally a perfect fit for West Ham and
perfectly describes the emotional roller coaster of supporting this club we
call our own. It was Alvin Martin who said the following during an interview
with SD&CC last year "You don`t become a West Ham fan because of the glory,
you become a West Ham fan because you are born into it and whilst it`s
painful at times that`s what makes us so strong, really strong".

My Dad was certainly born into it having grown up in New City Road. Money
was tight for his parents at the time but he was desperate to go and watch
West Ham. He said that when he was a kid, not only was there a lot of
traffic around the Boleyn Ground on a match day but there were a lot scally
wags letting tyres down on parked cars so him and his mates used to approach
the drivers in advance and offer to keep their cars safe during the game in
return for a small amount of money. As soon as they had enough money between
them for a ticket and a program, they would abandon the cars that they were
supposed to be protecting and go and see the game!

He had the pleasure of seeing some fantastic players over the years and
talks in detail about the time Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters
returned to West Ham after their contribution to our nation's greatest ever
triumph. He said that it was euphoric enough to know that our Country had
just won the biggest tournament on the planet but to know that we had won it
with West Ham players being the dominant force in that side was something
else. They were treated like heroes at the Boleyn, rightfully so.
Prior to the World Cup win, somewhere between the late 50s/early 60s,
gambling within the squad was at its peak. Some liked a punt more than
others and on a weekly basis bookmakers could be seen in the car park
outside the main entrance of the Boleyn waiting to collect money owed to
them by the players, however the lads would always be tipped off about the
bookmakers arrival and the groundsman would sneak them through the rear exit
of the chicken run!

The Chicken run. The famous Chicken run. The only stand in football to have
forced their players to stuff cotton wool in their ears because of the
amount of stick they used to receive for not giving 100%! This was true with
the players in the 50s and 60s. The fans were also probably close enough to
pull the cotton wool out of their ears too!

My Brother is older than me and was lucky enough to have been a regular over
West Ham during the eighties and has some special memories of his own.

He said that his most favourite game was a 2-1 win against Ipswich, this was
the final home game of the famous 86 season. The atmosphere was electric and
Ipswich needed the win as much as we did because they were facing relegation
at the time. We actually went 1-0 down but the sheer intensity of the crowd
urged our players on to win that game which we eventually did after goals
from Alan Dickens and Ray Stewart respectively. He said that it was
pandemonium in the ground at full time and the result also kept our dream
alive of winning the title. A pitch invasion took place and everyone was
singing "We`re gonna win the league". My brother dug up some turf from the
Boleyn that night and buried it in our Mum and Dads back garden! It was a
very special time to be a West Ham fan.

He also fondly reflects on watching the Monkey nut seller walking around the
Boleyn. It didn`t matter how far back you were in the stand, if you wanted a
packet of nuts you would just catch the eye of the Monkey nut seller and
pass your money down to the person in front of you, who would pass it down
to the person in front of them and so on all the way to the bottom until it
reached him. The monkey nut seller would then repeat the process with the
nuts all the way back up until the packet was in your hand! Can you imagine
that happening today?

During a memorable 4-1 win against Liverpool in what turned out to be a
pretty forgettable season in 1989, he was in the North bank when he suddenly
felt his leg becoming very warm on what was a cold evening. When he bent
down to feel his calf it was soaking wet! Confused, he turned around to see
that the geezer behind him had rolled up his program, stuck his d%ck through
it and p%ssed all over him! I don't think he was aiming for my brother's leg
but that wasn't much of a consolation to him as he had to spend the rest of
the second half with a soggy trouser leg! The stands were just so packed in
them days, it was obviously the easiest option for the fella at the time!

One of his most poignant memories was Trevor Brookings last ever game for
West Ham, a 1-0 defeat to Everton in 1984. He said that at the end of the
game there wasn`t a single fan leaving the stadium. Brooking, who had
assumed that the Boleyn was emptying after the final whistle was back in the
dressing room about to get changed when a club official told him that the
fans were still in the ground and they wasn`t leaving until he came back
out! The reception he received was deafening when he emerged from the tunnel
and as he proceeded to walk a lap of honour, hundreds and hundreds of fans
were throwing scarves at him and Sir Trevor didn`t leave a single scarf
behind, even if he dropped any, he came back and got them. Remember how
Brooking used to glide across those mud invested pitches at the Boleyn
before picking out the perfect pass? What a player. Imagine what he would`ve
done on the type of pitches our groundsman produce today? I think the same
could be said for Alan Devonshire, another class act.

In the mid-90s I became a season ticket holder in the Bobby Moore lower.
This was a special part of the stadium for me because in them days there
seemed to be two unwritten rules, 1. You don`t sit down and 2. You don`t
stop singing! For me, the mid to late 90s was the best era (in my lifetime
anyway). Who can forget witnessing the Academy of football at its peak with
the emergence of Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole, Michael Carrick and Frank Lampard?
Lest we forget the double signing of Hartson and Kitson, Dicksy Smashing
penalties (and wingers), the Ian Wright and Neil Ruddock celebration,
falling in love with Trevor Sinclair, Berkovic running riot, booking
ourselves a European tour, Samassi Abou against Barnsley, the signing of
Paolo Di Canio, Moncur being here, there and everywhere, Shaka becoming
world class, Redknapp being liked and Stuart Pearce playing with a broken
leg. I could go on and on, they were great days.

I am often asked for my most favourite game and although there are some
obvious answers in terms of importance, my choice is purely based on
entertainment and that would have to be the 5-4 win over Bradford City on
Saturday 12th February 2000. For me that game had absolutely everything and
belonged to Paolo Di Canio. I was privileged to watch Paolo play for West
Ham at the Boleyn. That man was poetry in motion and he adored the fans as
much as we adored him. He was my hero.

The Boleyn Ground also hosted the testimonial of another one of my hero's,
Julian Dicks. I`m not ashamed to admit it, when he walked onto that pitch
and through the guard of honour in front of a standing ovation I had tears
rolling down my face. That man was the closest thing I had experienced to
Billy Bonds in terms of a player giving you his heart and dominating the
field with his presence in the process. When we interviewed him in 2014 he
said "Putting that shirt on and playing at Upton Park was a fantastic
experience. When you are playing for West Ham it is the best ground in the
world, especially if the fans like you".

This season, I took my eldest daughter to her first ever game and as we
walked up the steps to take our seats I watched her face when she saw the
Boleyn for the first time and it was like history repeating itself. I saw
the same level of excitement that My Dad would`ve seen in me as an 8 year
old boy that Tuesday night against Plymouth. I knew exactly how she felt as
she squeezed my hand and smiled. That moment meant the world to me.
Hopefully, one day I will see the same expression on my grandchildren's face
when I walk them to their seats in the Olympic stadium for the first time.

Everyone who supports West Ham United has their own special memories about
the club but one thing I think we all have in common is that the place where
the majority of those special memories have been captured is the Boleyn
Ground. Whether it's inside the Stadium or the area that surrounds it,
collectively it will always have a special place in my heart and I am
eternally grateful for the times that it has given me and my family over the
years. This Stadium has seen it all. The good times, the bad times, the
laughs, the tears, the great players, the not so great players! And now,
this year it will see the end of the road as the club moves on to what we
all hope will be the start of a new and exciting chapter, the start of
something special. God bless the Boleyn Ground and the historical platform
that it has provided our treasured football club for well over a century.

Forever loved, never forgotten.

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Is Payet the signing of the decade?
February 10, 2016
TheWestHamWay
Guest Writer

West Ham United Vs Manchester City
by (CC by 2.0)
by joshjdss

Dimitri Payet has been a key player in West Ham's success so far this season
and could go down as one of the best signings of any Premier League club in
last summer's transfer window.
There is not much doubt that the PFA player of the year award is set to go
to one of Jamie Vardy, Mesut Ozil, or Riyad Mahrez, but the closest Premier
League newcomer in contention is Payet. At 33/1 with bookmakers, there is
not much chance that he will lift the award, but the way he has vastly
improved the team this season can't go unrecognised. Could Payet be the West
Ham signing of the decade?

History

We have a history of making dubious signings, some who have been a complete
waste of money and others who have not done much at the club only to go on
to great things elsewhere. Many may not remember that West Ham signed Javier
Mascherano back in 2006, for example. He only made five appearances for the
club before becoming a Liverpool and Barcelona legend. In that same year the
Hammers signed Carlos Tevez. He only scored seven goals for West Ham in his
26 appearances. At the peak of his career he put away 58 goals for
Manchester City. There was a bit of red tape about our signings of that
Argentinian pair but we could have done with keeping hold of them for
longer.

Dimitri Payet

We have had an exceptional season so far and a lot of that success has come
down to the outstanding performances of Payet, who has proved to be an
incisive acquisition. He has made a major difference while in the team,
allowing for some serious creativity in attack. When he was out of the side
for a few weeks through injury he was sorely missed, and we lacked the
threat that they had before. At the time of writing he has six goals and
four assists in the league. At a fee of what was believed to be around
£12million, he has proved to be a bargain. At 4/1 in the football betting, a
top-6 finish is a real possibility and Payet will be pivotal in ensuring we
meet that target.

Although Payet enjoyed a successful spell in France, scoring plenty of goals
at all the clubs he has played for, his stats in England suggest that this
could be where he reaches his peak.

Other contenders

Although possibly not in the same league as Payet, Michail Antonio looks to
be a rather shrewd acquisition. At the time of writing, he has three goals
and five assists in the league after only 12 appearances. This attacking
mind-set fits in well with Slaven Bilic's attacking model and he could be a
key player over the years to come. Sam Byram also looks like he has a
bright career ahead of him and Bilic was wise to snap up the youngster from
Leeds United before any of West Ham's rivals got to him first.

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West Ham United Pay League
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 11, 2016 in News, Whispers C and H

West Ham's wage bill has created a lot of discussion over recent months with
claims of FFP and all the rest of it. So ClaretandHugh has taken a look at
what we believe to be the situation at the club and has based our Pay League
table on information we have received recently and in the past.
We don't claim this table is guaranteed 100 per cent correct but believe it
is very close to presenting the real figure on wage costs.

West Ham United v Wolverhampton Wanderers - FA Cup Third Round

1. Andy Carroll £85,000 per week £4.42m per year 2. Alex Song £70,000 per
week £3.64m per year 3. Victor Moses £70,000 per week £3.64m per year 4.
Dimtri Payet £68,000 per week £3.53m per year 5. Winston Reid £55,000 per
week £2.86m per year 6. Nikica Jelavic £55,000 per week £2.86m per year 7.
Mark Noble £50,000 per week £2.6m per year 8. James Tomkins £45,000 per
week £2.34m per year 9. Adrian £42,000 per week £2.2m per year 10. Pedro
Obiang £40,000 per week £2.08m per year 11.Enner Valencia £38,000 per week
£1.98m per year 12. Emmanuel Emenike £38,000 per week £1.98m per year 13.
Cheik Kouyate £38,000 per week £1.98m per year 14. Diafra Sakho £33,000 per
week £1.76m per year
15. Sam Byram £30,000 per week £1.56m per year
16. Manuel Lanzini £29,000 per week £1.5m per year 17. James Collins £29,000
per week £1.5m per year 18. Angelo Ogbonna £28,000 per week £1.46m per year
19. Michail Antonio £25,000 per week £1.3m per year 20. Aaron Cresswell
£24,000 per week £1.23m per year 21. Joey O'Brien £20,000 per week £1.04m
per year 22. Darren Randolph £20,000 per week £1.04m per year 23. Doneil
Henry £15,000 per week £780,000 per year 24. Ralph Spiegel £15,000 per week
£780,000 per year 25. Reece Oxford £10,000 per week £520,000 per year

The sharp-eyed among you will notice the total annual wage bill listed above
is just around £48m per year while the FFP limit is £60m for West Ham this
season. The Premier league rules say all clubs need to declare the total
cost of players wages including any bonuses, image rights, additional
payments, employer national insurance contributions and any pension
payments. Employers National Insurance Contributions add another 13.8% to
the basic wages the players receive so around £6.9m on the figures above.
Bonuses and image rights account for the rest with a small remainder for
players such as Josh Cullen, Martin Samuleson and Reece Burke together with
non-first team players wages in the Academy.

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Samuelsen heartbreak but Irons contract ahead Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on
February 11, 2016 in News, Whispers C and H

Young Hammer Martin Samuelsen suffered the ultimate heartbreak last night as
he missed a spot kick in the penalty shoot-out which saw Peterborough slip
out of the FA Cup to West Brom.
However, he might have got away with it when vastly experienced Albion star
Darren Fletcher dribbled an awful shot wide immediately afterwards in the
fourth round replay. But in the end the Baggies went through as The Posh's
final penalty taker hit an awful effort straight at keeper Ben Foster.
However, Samuelsen had shown millions of TV viewers during 120 minutes just
what a fabulous prospect he is with some brilliant solo stuff. And he might
have won it for the League One side in extra time from open play when taking
on three Albion defenders and firing an effort narrowly over the top. With
the likes of Payet, Lanzini and the young Norwegian on our books the Irons
look set to excite for a long time to come and the club confirmed again this
morning that they will be negotiating a new deal with the teenager this
summer. ClaretandHugh was told exclusively: "Martin's a wonderful prospect
as many saw last night - it was a fabulous performance by him and his loan
team. "We have an option to extend and will offer him a longer contract in
the summer. We are thrilled with the progress he is making and intent to
keep him happy."

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Fry talks to DS about Samuelsen
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 11, 2016 in News, Whispers C and H
Exclusive

Peterborough's director of football Barry Fry told ClaretandHugh this
morning that Martin Samuelsen's appearance in the FA Cup Final fourth round
replay against West Brom last night was his first full match since joining
Peterborough United on loan from the Hammers last year. Samuelsen was in
fabulous form but Fry said: "He's always come on as a sub as he's still a
bit weak for regular 90 minutes but last night will have done him the world
of good. He's been playing kids football but he's really growing into the
mens' game. "We were thrilled that he was still going at the end of two
hours - it was a great step in his development and will have done him the
world of good." Fry insists the young Norwegian needs to stay at London Road
for another season and declared: "If he stays with us particularly should we
be a Championship club he will go back to West Ham as a tough and mature
player. He added: "I have talked to David Sullivan about the possibility.
It's obviously my hope we can make it happen but he is without doubt a
fabulous prospect." Posh are currently sitting in eighth place three points
off the play-off places.

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Slaven Bilic gives update on Payet contract talks amid Arsenal and Chelsea
speculation SLAVEN BILIC has confirmed Dimitri Payet is close to signing a
new deal at West Ham.
By UCHE AMAKO
PUBLISHED: 10:24, Thu, Feb 11, 2016 | UPDATED: 10:52, Thu, Feb 11, 2016
Express.co.uk

Reports earlier this week suggested the French attacker was demanding a new
£125,000-a-week deal and that Arsenal and Chelsea were monitoring the
situation. The Hammers quickly denied any dispute and said "amicable and
productive talks" were underway. While Payet made clear his intention to
stay at West Ham saying: "My future is here and I hope for many years." And
ahead of their clash with Norwich on Saturday, Bilic provided positive news
on Payet's contract. He said: "I think we are very close to Dimitri signing
a new contract. "Both parties have the same intention and that is to stay
at West Ham."

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FROM DREAM TO NIGHTMARE - HOW THE AWAY DAY MORONS RUINED IT FOR MY 13 YEAR
OLD SON
By Iain Dale 11 Feb 2016 at 08:00
WTID
Guest Post by Andrew Newman

I am proud to say I have supported West Ham all my life. Since I moved down
to Dorset From London 13 years ago I fell in love & happily married my wife
and proudly took on her son on who I am now honoured to call my stepson. He
was at the time 9 yrs old and sadly supported Chelsea unto the age of 11.
But I managed to convince him to support West Ham. He instantly fell in love
with our history, mainly Bobby Moore and our famous 'bubbles' song. And
iconic players from the past like Di Canio, Dicks, Bonds, etc.

He now loves to sing the Payet song in his room and 'bubbles' whenever
possible all the time. His bedroom is now claret & blue from top to bottom
and gone is the Chelsea theme I reluctantly decorated for him. I have taken
him to home friendlies before, as sadly I cant get a season ticket. But
luckily due to my business relationship with a supplier who has 2 season
tickets for Southampton I have been able to take him to the West Ham away
matches at St Mary's for the last two years.

But can you imagine having to sit in the Saints end listening to the
conversations running the Hammers down and how great the Saints are? It is
torture for me!

But I love him so I can just about tolerate it. But at least it's always a
safe environment. He now has grown into a lovely respectful thirteen year
old son.

However, he always wishes he could be in the away end so he can sing
'bubbles' the Payet song when we go to Southampton. I always tell him what a
great experience away days are and promised him one day we will go to a away
day match and sing our hearts out together, win, lose or draw. Nothing would
make me prouder seeing him so happy.

At Saturday night's match against Southampton we were, as usual, sitting in
the home end. And as usual we was having to listen to the usual dribble from
Saints fans until half time. But then I could see down by the touchline a
head steward I know from work.

I grabbed my son's hand and we went down there and I asked the steward if
there was any chance he could get us in the away end with our fellow West
Ham fans. He said 'Sure, come with me'. At this point my son's eyes lit up
and he was so excited. We were kindly shown in to the West Ham end. I have
never seen him so happy. Another steward told us there were plenty of seats
available near the segregation seats and to choose which ones we would like.
As I excitedly thanked him my son and I moved into position.

The mood was defiantly different from the one in the Southampton end we were
in. But he was still so happy and couldn't wait to hear the rendition of
'bubbles' start. The second half kicked off and so did 'bubbles'. He looked
at me and I winked at him, and he sang his heart out. I was so happy I had
made his dream come true.

Sadly the mood changed again after the sending off and a few morons from
West Ham kept charging past us towards the Southampton supporters, clearly
not interested in the match, swearing and being abusive in front of my son
pushing him out of way so they could scream at the Southampton fans, goading
them for a fight.

As I looked at my son's face it turned in a instant from one of happiness to
one full of fear. He was so scared the tears soon followed.This kept on and
on. My heart broke i held him close and could feel his body shaking with
fear - his dream having turned into a nightmare. As I looked around also a
young girl of maybe eight or nine was also sobbing, hugging her Dad close. I
then left with my son before the match finished for his safety.

What possesses idiots to behave in front of children like this?! I can never
again say to my stepson that West Ham is a family club. And I think
emotionally he is scared to want to go to another West Ham match, home or
away. The morons who only wanted to go for a fight have ruined his love for
our great club.

I'm a very sad Hammer.

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