Daily WHUFC News - 16th March 2018

Arnautovic included in Austria squad for March matches
WHUFC.com

Marko Arnautovic has been named in Austria's squad for two friendly
international matches at the end of the month. The West Ham United forward
is one of 24 players selected to host Slovenia in Klagenfurt on 23 March
before traveling to Luxembourg four days later. Capped 67 times and with 16
goals for his country, Arnautovic is the most-experienced member of Franco
Foda's squad, having made his debut against the Faroe Islands back in
October 2008. Since then, he has featured regularly for the Burschen and was
part of the squad which travelled to the UEFA European Championship finals
in 2016. Vienna-born Arnautovic, who has seven Premier League goals to his
name for the Hammers this season, is joined in Foda's group by Watford
defender Sebastian Prodl, Leicester City centre-back Aleksandar Dragovic and
the likes of Bayern Munich midfielder David Alaba and FC Augsburg pair
Martin Hinteregger and Michael Gregoritsch. The 28-year-old is one of a
number of West Ham players called-up for international duty, with Manuel
Lanzini (Argentina), Declan Rice (Republic of Ireland) and Cheikhou Kouyate
(Senegal) also set for action.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Collison: International football will benefit West Ham youngsters
WHUFC.com

West Ham United's lead U14/U16 coach Jack Collison says the Club's young
players will benefit from playing for their respective national teams.
Premier League 2 players Domingos Quina, Martin Samuelsen and Conor
Coventry, as well as U18 regulars Rihards Matrevics, Jeremy Ngakia and
Ajibola Alese and schoolboys Serine Sanneh and Daniel Jinadu are all in line
for call-ups for international fixtures in March and April. With opposition
ranging from Brazil to Kosovo, former Wales international Collison believes
playing against players and teams with different tactics and playing styles
can only aid the West Ham youngsters. "A number of our players will be
hoping to be called into their respective international teams' camps next
week, during the break, which will provide them with great opportunities to
further their development," said Collison, who was capped 15 times by the
Dragons at senior level and also featured seven times for the U21s. "The
chance to play for your country at this young age is a real testament to
their efforts, and the lads will need to be prepared to come up against
different formations, different styles of playing football, and even
different pressures. "The pressure of wearing an international shirt is
something every young player dreams of and I'm sure the lads involved will
give the best possible account of themselves."

While many call-ups are still at the provisional stage, West Ham could have
as many as eleven players involved in age-group internationals.

Declan Rice, Josh Cullen (both Republic of Ireland), Edimilson Fernandes
(Switzerland) and Samuelsen (Norway) are set for U21 duty in UEFA European
Championship qualifiers, while Ngakia could be involved in DR Congo's Africa
U20 Cup of Nations qualifiers with Tanzania.

Quina (Portugal), Coventry (Republic of Ireland) and Matrevics (Latvia) are
all set for UEFA European U19 Championship qualifiers.
Alese's England U17s face a friendly double-header with Brazil, while
goalkeepers Sanneh and Jinadu could be involved in the Montaigu Tournament
in France with England U16s.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bonds: Bobby Moore was a truly great player and a great man
WHUFC.com

Billy Bonds tells long-serving London Evening Standard reporter Ken Dyer
that the late, great Bobby Moore, who passed away 25 years ago, was his own
footballing hero...

I count myself a lucky man to have watched Bobby Moore in his pomp, but how
much better would it have been to have played in the same team as the
greatest ever Hammer?

Dream on, as they say, but one man who does know what it was to play with
the great man is yet another Club legend – Billy Bonds.

Billy joined West Ham United from Charlton Athletic for £55,000 in the
summer of 1967, a year after Bobby, as England captain, had wiped his
muddied hands on the Royal Box velvet, shaken the white-gloved hand of Her
Majesty The Queen and then received the Jules Rimet Trophy. The two men –
Bonzo and Mooro as they are affectionately known by Hammers' fans everywhere
– actually first met eight years earlier – and Bonzo hadn't a clue then, who
the blond-haired young man was. Billy takes up the story.
"I first met Mooro when I was about 12 years old – and I had no idea who he
was," he recalls. "He came over to South London to present some medals to my
local Sunday League morning team. He brought his future wife Tina over – I
think they were going out together at the time. "We had won the league and
the cup that year and our manager, Mr Flowers, told us he had arranged for
somebody to come and present the medals to us. "We all turned up at Middle
Park School and in came Mooro. He had just broken into the West Ham first
team but we didn't know who he was. Even then, though, he had something
about him, blond, good looking with a lovely young lady alongside him. He
did a bit of coaching with us, presented the medals and that was it. "We
later found out his name was Bobby Moore and he played for West Ham but
communication back then wasn't like it is now, there weren't loads of
matches on TV – and most people of my estate were either Charlton or
Millwall fans! "Fast forward six years from that first meeting and I'm
watching along with millions of others on TV, as Mooro lifts the World Cup."

Woolwich-born Bonds moved across the River Thames in 1967, when he signed
for West Ham from Second Division Charlton Athletic. "A year after the World
Cup I joined West Ham from Charlton and I certainly knew who he was then! I
was a bit in awe of him to be honest because, along with Pele, he was
probably the most famous footballer in the world - but I needn't have been
worried. "He was great right with me right from the start. There wasn't an
ounce of arrogance or ego in him. He was so down to earth you had to remind
yourself all that he had achieved. "That was what was so great about him,
apart from his ability. Nowadays there are players who, let's be honest,
couldn't lace Mooro's boots but they get a little touch of stardom and
that's it – you can't talk to them – big-time Charlies. "Mooro could have
been like that – but he wasn't. He was just a lovely bloke, someone you
looked up to and admired. Then, to play with him, well…. You can imagine
what a thrill it was for me. "The first game we played together I remember
was against Sheffield Wednesday at the start of that 1967 season. Mooro
wasn't a 'bawler and shouter'. I played right-back that day and early in the
game I looked to my left and there was Bobby Moore, playing alongside me. I
thought 'bloody hell', I'm playing alongside a World Cup winner. "He was so
calm on the ball, he wasn't a fierce tackler who would go through the back
of people but he had that wonderful knack of just nicking the ball off
opponents. He wasn't quick so his positional play had to be very good and he
was brilliant at reading the game. "I was totally different to him. He was
cool and calm with everything he did while I was a bull in a china shop,
flying into tackles. Just playing with him though, meant you learnt
something. "As I said though, he was never lairy. He knew all the stars and
everyone wanted to know him but he always had time for you. He always kept
that humility."

Bobby finally left West Ham for Fulham in 1974 but a year later the pair
were back on the same pitch – but this time in opposition. It was to be
Bobby's final competitive match at the national stadium with West Ham
finishing FA Cup winners after beating their London rivals 2-0. Billy was
West Ham captain then but, as he recalIs: "I didn't shake his hand before
the game because Alan Mullery was their captain and when the game started,
you put your business hat on – it's them or us and no-one remembers who
finishes on the losing side in an FA Cup final. "If Mooro had made a forward
run and was threatening our goal I would probably have kicked him – and more
than likely he would have expected it! "When the final whistle went, though,
and we had won the Cup, he was the first one I went to, out of respect,
before I started celebrating. I wanted to make sure he knew how I felt.
There's a picture of Graham Paddon and me, both with our arms around him.
"The last time I saw him was up at Grimsby in November 1992. I was manager
of West Ham and I was doing an interview after a night game. We had drawn
the match 1-1 and Mooro came down from the Press Box and waited until I had
finished to say 'hello' to me. "He didn't look well then and I knew he had
an illness."

Bobby died just three months later.

"I wouldn't say I was ever close to him," says Billy. "It's been well
documented that he loved a 'bevy' and he would go out after a game while I
just went home but I always say I was privileged and proud to play alongside
the great Bobby Moore. "There are different kinds of defenders. Kevin
Beattie was one of the best in my time. He was a powerhouse but Mooro wasn't
like that. I can see him now, knocking 40-yard passes up to Geoff Hurst's
chest. "A truly great player and a great man – I loved him."

*This feature originally appeared in the Official Programme for the Premier
League fixture with Burnley.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Evra: I have to lead by example at West Ham
WHUFC.com

Patrice Evra knows he has a huge responsibility to the younger players at
West Ham United and has to lead by example both on the training fields and
during matches. At 36-years-old, Evra is West Ham's most experienced
professional player and boasts a wealth of knowledge, having claimed five
Premier League titles and made 728 competitive match appearances during his
career. The Frenchman signed for the Irons in February and is eager to share
what he has learned in his 20 years as a professional footballer with the
younger players at West Ham. But Evra knows the best way to guide these
talents is by his actions, not his words.
"Coming in at my age, there's massive responsibility on my shoulders," Evra
told whufc.com: "You have to lead by example. Before you can say anything to
a younger player and guide them with your words, you have to show them good
examples and lead with your actions. You have to work hard in training, and
do your job in the games. "It's in my character to do that anyway, and I'm
not someone who has anything to prove. When you're in a leadership position,
your most important job is to create more leaders around you. I like to do
that and I strive to do that. I want to see my teammates – particularly the
younger ones – getting better and playing well. The most important thing is
the team. "This role fits my personality so, for me, it was the perfect fit
to come to West Ham."

Having won 21 major trophies, Evra has enjoyed one of the most successful
playing careers of any individual to grace the Premier League. But
retirement is far from the left-back's mind, with Evra citing his passion
for the game as his reason for continuing. And Evra wants to harness that
hunger to help the Hammers climb back up the table. He continued: "I've got
a lot of friends who said things like 'You've got nothing to prove so why do
you keep playing?' But it's in my DNA. I can't stop. Why would I want to
stop? If I wasn't fit then, of course, I would be questioning myself. But
I'm fit and I know what I am doing. "It's all about hunger. When I was
five-years-old, I had such a hunger for football. Even when I was young, and
I was begging people for money outside of the store, even then I was saying
'I love this game!'. This is my motivation to keep playing. "When I lose
that hunger I will stop. But actually, as I get older, the stronger that
hunger gets. Forget the Patrice Evra from Manchester United, from Juventus,
from the French team. Every day I wake up is a new day, a new challenge, and
I'm always questioning myself. "Every training session and match with West
Ham is a chance to prove to myself and my teammates that I can still play
this game at the highest level. I think that hunger will be with me
forever."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hart ready to fight for place after receiving England call-up
WHUFC.com

Joe Hart has been named in England's squad for two mouth-watering friendly
international matches at the end of the month. The West Ham United
goalkeeper is one of 27 players selected to travel to Amsterdam to face the
Netherlands on Friday 23 March before hosting Italy at Wembley Stadium four
days later. Capped 75 times since making his debut against Trinidad and
Tobago in June 2008, Hart has travelled to the last four major tournaments
with England and will hope to make it five at the FIFA World Cup finals in
Russia this summer. "We've got some good games coming up," said Hart, who
has been working hard during the Hammers' training camp in Miami this week.
"We want to go into them and learn as much about ourselves as we possibly
can. "We've done the hard task of qualifying for the World Cup, which many
other teams found difficult, but I felt we handled it very professionally.
"Now, we've got games to test ourselves and really see where we are at, work
on our strengths and work on our weaknesses."

With the likes of Stoke City's Jack Butland, Southampton's Fraser Forster,
Burnley's Nick Pope and Everton's Jordan Pickford also vying for Gareth
Southgate's attention, Hart knows he needs to maintain his form if he is to
keep his starting place. "Every day is an audition when you go away with
England and it's highly-publicised before each game, who is going to play
and who isn't. "It's interesting how it is working out at the moment, but
I'm still in there fighting, trying to perform to my best levels, and that
will never change."

Hart, who is on a season-long loan from Manchester City, started nine of the
Three Lions' ten World Cup qualifiers, keeping seven clean sheets. In total,
has 42 shutouts in 75 appearances for his country. The 30-year-old is one
of a number of West Ham players called-up for international duty, with Marko
Arnautovic (Austria), Manuel Lanzini (Argentina), Declan Rice (Republic of
Ireland) and Cheikhou Kouyate (Senegal) also set for action.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Joao Mario earns Portugal call for upcoming friendlies
WHUFC.com

Joao Mario has been called-up by Portugal for two FIFA World Cup warm-up
friendlies at the end of March. The West Ham United midfielder and his
teammates, including former Hammer Jose Fonte, will head for Switzerland to
face Egypt and the Netherlands. The UEFA Euro 2016 winners will tackle the
Pharaohs in Zurich on Friday 23 March before heading for Geneva to take on
the Dutch on Monday 26 March. Joao Mario is one of five English-based
players in Fernando Santos' squad, joining Southampton full-back Cedric
Soares, Leicester City midfielder Adrian Silva, Wolverhampton Wanderers'
Ruben Neves and Manchester City attacker Bernardo Silva. The 25-year-old has
been capped 31 times since 2014, scoring once, and featured in all seven
matches as Portugal were crowned European champions in France two years ago.
They will seek to add the World Cup crown when they travel to Russia in June
to take on Spain, Morocco and Iran in the group stage.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Arnautovic: We must stay together and fight until the end
WHUFC.com

Marko Arnautovic says every West Ham United player 'has to stay together and
fight' to keep the Club in the Premier League. The Hammers have spent the
week working in Miami, where Arnautovic says David Moyes' training sessions
have had the intensity of pre-season. But while the popular Austrian and his
teammates might have been sweating, they are certainly not complaining, with
the No7 insisting the squad will return refreshed, recharged and united for
the run-in, which kicks-off with the visit of Southampton on 31 March. "The
training has been tough, and this is not a holiday for us," said Arnautovic.
"We came out here to take some sun, of course, but I think this was like
pre-season as the training was really hard. "We are happy for this because
we need to work hard and come back and finish the end of the season
strongly. Until now, so far, it was not how we wanted it. We have to work
hard, we have to stay together, like we are doing this week, until the end
of the season because it's going to be really hard for us."

With Arnautovic in magnificent form, West Ham went on an encouraging run
over Christmas and the New Year, rising to tenth in the table, but three
straight defeats have seen them drop back down to 16th. However, with eight
matches still to play, the seven-goal striker says there is time to put
things right. "Of course, we try to turn things around. I understand the
fans' disappointment. They expect us to win those games at home and we
didn't. "I think it was really hard for the players, but also for the fans
and everyone involved. But my message to everyone is to keep everything
together. "Everybody who wears this badge has to stay together and fight
until the end of the season. I think we're going to do our best to come out
of this."

As an experienced international and Premier League performer, Arnautovic
himself is willing to take on the personal responsibility of scoring and
creating the goals the Hammers need to secure the points required. Having
played influential roles in the home victories over champions Chelsea and
Watford and the away wins at Stoke City and Huddersfield Town, the
28-year-old has already shown he has the character and ability to do just
that. "I try to take as much as possible on my shoulders. I think, with this
kind of situation, that you can do some good. I just want to work hard and
start winning games. "We need those points and we need the whole team to
fight for them."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United welcome Safety Advisory Group statement
WHUFC.com

Following the meeting of the Safety Advisory Group at London Stadium today,
West Ham United welcome the announcement of a number of safety and security
measures which will be implemented for our next home match against
Southampton on Saturday 31 March.

Please see below a statement from the London Stadium Safety Advisory Group.

The London Stadium Safety Advisory Group met today and found that a small
minority of spectators from within a very large crowd caused an
unprecedented level of disorder at multiple locations across the stadium,
which would have been almost impossible for any security team to manage.
Whilst some issues in the security regime were identified it is recognised
that the operation were stretched significantly by the scale and volume of
incidents and stopped most attempted pitch incursions successfully.
In response, a series of measures will be introduced for the next fixture
including: increased stewarding, enhanced pitch security and a significantly
larger police presence. A spokesperson on behalf of the London Safety
Advisory Group, said: "The Safety Advisory Group for London Stadium has
today met to discuss the serious disorder last weekend. "The Safety Advisory
Group (SAG) recognises discontent among fans cannot be allowed to compromise
the safety and wellbeing of the majority of spectators at the stadium. "The
SAG has been working closely with London Stadium 185 (LS185), E20 and West
Ham United to understand the sequence of events leading to the disorder. We
have instructed the stadium operators to make changes to prevent a
repetition. The SAG has seen evidence that the level of disorder would have
been difficult for any safety management team to contain. Following today's
meeting the SAG is reassured that safety is LS185's top priority. "The SAG
has made specific requests to the stadium operators for the next fixture
including:

• Police will be present inside and outside the stadium
• Bolstering the response teams
• Restricting access to the area in front of the directors' box
• A review of spectator movement around the stadium

"In addition, LS185 and West Ham United have made great strides in
identifying the trouble makers and have been very clear that those guilty of
violent or aggravating conduct will be banned from the stadium. It is
anticipated these stadium bans will be in place for the next home fixture
against Southampton on 31 March. "The SAG acts as the advisory body to
Newham Council in its safety certifying role. Following reassurances that
have been given, it is the SAG's view that the council does not need to use
the ultimate sanction, which would see capacity reduced at the venue and
spectators excluded. The remaining homes games will be closely monitored.
"The SAG must make clear that in the event of future disorder, it would
seriously consider advising the certifying authority to take forward this
sanction. Playing behind closed doors would be a great shame for the
majority of fans who wish to watch and support their team in safety."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham: More police and tighter security plans announced after crowd
trouble
BBC.co.uk

Tighter safety and security measures, including an increased police
presence, will be put in place for West Ham's next home match, following the
crowd trouble at their most recent game. There were four separate pitch
invasions at London Stadium during Saturday's 3-0 defeat by Burnley. The new
measures were announced after an emergency meeting on Thursday. The group in
charge of stadium safety also warned that future trouble could lead to
closures. London Stadium's Safety Advisory Group (SAG), which includes
representatives from the club, police, Newham council, and stadium owners
and operators, announced the decision. It has the power to restrict the
capacity of the ground or even close it to paying spectators completely.
West Ham have said they will seek life football bans for the supporters who
ran on to the pitch during last weekend's Premier League match. Co-owners
David Sullivan and David Gold were forced to leave the directors' box for
their own safety, with Sullivan struck on the head by a coin. Burnley
players sheltered a group of young fans during crowd trouble that broke out
in the home sections.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan described the scenes as "disgraceful". The Football
Association has opened its own inquiry and the Premier League also expressed
concern at the situation. The SAG said it recognised security had been
"stretched significantly by the scale and volume of incidents and stopped
most attempted pitch incursions successfully".

It said it had now "instructed the stadium operators to make changes to
prevent a repetition". The group said it had made "great strides in
identifying the trouble makers" and expected "stadium bans will be in place
for the next home fixture against Southampton on 31 March".

A statement added: "Following reassurances that have been given, it is the
SAG's view that the council does not need to use the ultimate sanction,
which would see capacity reduced at the venue and spectators excluded. The
remaining homes games will be closely monitored. "The SAG must make clear
that in the event of future disorder, it would seriously consider advising
the certifying authority to take forward this sanction. Playing behind
closed doors would be a great shame for the majority of fans who wish to
watch and support their team in safety."

Analysis
BBC Sport's Simon Stone

It is only now that the sheer scale and organisation of Saturday's trouble
is becoming apparent. Rather than the spontaneous uprising against the
club's owners it initially appeared to be, it has now been established
hundreds of supporters were involved, communicating with mobile phones, and
creating small-scale problems, in a concerted effort to get security staff
away from their designated areas to leave the directors' box, in particular,
vulnerable. Sixty staff are employed at London Stadium on matchdays with the
specific brief to keep fans off the pitch. It has been established that on
Saturday, 85% of those attempts were repelled.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Arnie set for Lux test
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 15th March 2018
By: Staff Writer

Marko Arnautovic has been named in the Austria squad that will face Slovenia
and Luxembourg later this month. The 28-year-old, who is currently in Miami
with the rest of the West Ham first team squad already has 67 caps under his
belt and has been named in Franco Foda's latest 24-man squad ahead of the
two friendlies, which are due to take place on 23 and 27 March.

* Cheikhou Kouyate - with 25 caps to his name - is set to represent Senegal
in their forthcoming pre-World Cup friendlies against Uzbekistan and Bosnia
and Herzegovina on March 23 and 27 respectively. The Hammers midfielder -
who currently captains his national side - confesses he can't wait to lead
his team out at this summer's World Cup Finals in Russia. " I am the captain
and my people are behind us, so I need to lead my team," Kouyate told
whufc.com. "It won't be easy though as this is a World Cup and every game
is hard. Every game is a final and we are going there to give our best,
because all of Senegal are proud of the team. Everybody in the country loves
football." The midfielder is joined in the squad by former Hammer Diafra
Sakho, who has scored three goals in his first seven appearances in Ligue 1
for new club Rennes.

* In other international news, Manuel Lanzini has already been named in the
Argentina squad which will face Italy and Spain in the same week. The
25-year-old has previously represented his country at full international
level on two occasions.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers shunned by Southgate and England
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 15th March 2018
By: Staff Writer

West Ham's home grown contingent have been snubbed by Gareth Southgate ahead
of England's forthcoming fixtures with Holland and Italy. The only Hammer to
be selected in the former Aston Villa defender's latest international squad
is Joe Hart, currently on loan from Manchester City. And that means a snub
for the likes of Aaron Cresswell and Michail Antonio, who have appeared
under Southgate in recent England line-ups. As a result, there are fewer
Hammers in the squad than the likes of Burnley and Leicester, with Southgate
calling up the Clarets' Nick Pope and James Tarkowski for the first time.

A total number of 14 Premier League clubs are represented in the latest
squad, which is due to face the Dutch in Amsterdam on 23 March and Italy at
Wembley on 27 March, are as follows:

Liverpool: 4 (Joe Gomez, Jordan Henderson, Jordan Henderson, Alex
Oxlade-Chamberlain)
Tottenham Hotspur: 4 (Dele Alli, Eric Dier, Danny Rose, Kieran Trippier)
Manchester City: 3 (Raheem Sterling, John Stones, Kyle Walker)
Manchester Utd: 3 (Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford, Ashley Young)
Arsenal: 2 (Danny Welbeck, Jack Wilshere)
Burnley: 2 (Nick Pope, James Tarkowski)
Leicester City: 2 (Harry Maguire, Jamie Vardy)
Bournemouth: 1 (Lewis Cook)
Everton: 1 (Jordan Pickford)
Southampton: 1 (Ryan Bertrand)
Stoke City: 1 (Jack Butland)
Swansea City: 1 (Alfie Mawson)
West Bromwich Albion: 1 (Jake Livermore)
West Ham United: 1 (Joe Hart)

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Tony Gale urges West Ham fans to unite behind the team
By Nick Lustig
Last Updated: 15/03/18 6:00pm
SSN

Tony Gale has urged West Ham fans to unite behind the team in a bid to avoid
another "nightmare" relegation. The Hammers sit just three points above the
relegation zone after last Saturday's 3-0 home defeat to Burnley, a match
which was played out amid fan protests against co-owners David Gold and
David Sullivan. Gale was part of the Hammers squad that was relegated from
the top flight in 1991/1992 - a season which was also marred by a series of
fan protests against the board. To comply with the Lord Justice Taylor
Report into the Hillsborough disaster, West Ham's then-owners needed to
raise £15m to convert the Boleyn Ground into an all-seater stadium. They
proposed a controversial bond scheme whereby fans would need to purchase a
bond - priced between £500 and £950 - to then have the privilege of buying a
season ticket. The scheme was eventually dropped, with only 808 bonds
purchased, but Gale believes the protests were a contributing factor in the
club's relegation and fears the same could happen again if they are not
halted until the summer. When recalling the impact that the protests had on
that season, Gale said: "It was an absolute nightmare. The crowd that was
normally so with you, were against you. "The only way they could vent their
anger at the board was through the players on the pitch - a bit similar to
what happened last weekend against Burnley. "They wanted to have a go at the
board back then, but once supporters started running on the pitch, it
stopped the continuity and concentration that the players had. The
atmosphere at the ground was immediately lost. "Not to have a crowd on your
side for those remaining games, which were so crucial to us in our bid to
survive, was a massive factor in us being relegated. No doubt about it."
The West Ham squad are currently enjoying a warm-weather training camp in
Miami with no fixture until March 31 when they return to the London Stadium
to face relegation rivals Southampton. David Moyes' side face a daunting
run-in, which includes home matches against Manchester United and Manchester
City as well as trips to face London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea. Gale added:
"The fans have got to put it to bed from now until the summer and make sure
they help the club stay in the Premier League. "The ramifications of going
down to the Championship don't bear thinking about. It's really difficult
for them. "But I'd echo the words of Sir Trevor Brooking by saying revisit
at the end of the season and I hope that the board learn and provide more
investment, more West Ham signage around the stadium, more identity for the
football club and just a bit more of everything."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
BROOKING IS RIGHT – STAY AWAY IF YOU CANNOT SUPPORT
By Blind Hammer 15 Mar 2018 at 08:00
WTID

Blind Hammer supports Brooking's call for the Board Haters to stay away.

This is what Trevor Brooking said after the disgraceful scenes on Saturday.

"….some of those decided if we went behind that was the time then to show
their frustration. But the actual level of aggression was something I
couldn't believe a West Ham fan could get involved in.
"Some of the aggression was so strong – it did go back to the bad old days.
I saw a few young families leaving because the youngsters were frightened.
That's not your genuine West Ham fan, and some of the aggression was really
strong."
"The stewards were quite young and really couldn't deal with the aggression
that they were faced with."
"The fans, and the fans involved in that have to understand that and really
shelve all those discussions and all those frustrations – just don't come to
the games at the moment until you try and allow the players to get the
points to try and stay up and that is the biggest challenge in the next
three weeks.
"There have been a lot of frustrations about spending money and a players
coming in and all those sort of things as whether the stadium is the right
place. The fact is we're at the stadium and it's nearly the end of the
second season and yes there's a debate on investment but now with five home
matches remaining. It looked an advantage. But when you've just lost 3-0 and
had people coming onto the pitch with a lot of people venting their
frustrations towards the directors… that means the next five games at home
look pretty bleak. There is no way that the team is going to be able to play
and get the points to stay up under that sort of atmosphere – it's
impossible
"All I will say is that between now and the end of the season, anyone who
has got that aggressive frustration to just don't come to the five home
games that are left because we need everyone, all the fans and the team all
working together, to try and get sufficient results in the five home games –
which we thought were going to be the strength – but yesterday became a
massive weakness."

I am amazed that, even now, some are trying to excuse the thugs and idiots
who ruined the game. Brooking is entirely correct, there are no excuses. The
response of so called supporters was astonishingly self-destructive. The
truth is that West Ham were not playing a stinker. We should remember that
for over half the game we were the better side. You do not have to take my
word for it. Sean Syche admitted that his side were simply not in it until
they scored. They were restricted to early time wasting. This was
orchestrated by their goalkeeper Pope. His long punts were also their main
tactic deployed to resist West Ham's dominance. Lennon's handball should
have been punished with a penalty. West Ham's performance was not perfect,
we lacked a cutting edge, Mario and Lanzini in particular missed crucial
chances, and Hernandez should probably have been introduced earlier.

Nevertheless it was Dyche who made an inspired substitution and it was Wood
who scored a fine goal in a rare Burnley attack. This happens in football.
Teams go behind but can recover. Time for our supporters to show their
loyalty, their mettle and support? Not a bit of it.

The proclamation by the Board Haters that they could separate their vitriol
in a way that would not negatively affect the team was always a fantasy.
This animosity destroyed our season at the time of the Bond Scheme. It is
destroying us now. The fact that we are now amongst favourites for
relegation has everything to do with these self-consumed malcontents rather
than anything to do with our squad or management. I get it that people are
emotionally upset that Upton Park no longer exists. I absolutely deny that
they, because they cannot come to terms with this, have the right to drag us
into an angry abyss. If there is a cancer eating away and destroying our
club it is these negative and arrogant self-obsessed. This hate filled
minority were always going to allow their own sense of grievance to come
first. We saw on Saturday how deep their support really is.

The self-consumed were simply waiting for the first hint of any adversity to
abandon any pretence of support. They welcomed it as the earliest
opportunity to launch the disgraceful scenes which shattered any chance that
the team could recover. Lenin once famously described this kind of support
as the support provided by the hangman's noose.

My in stadium commentator could not even describe the game for the last 15
minutes. He had a duty to explain the situation from the health and safety
perspective of blind and visually impaired supporters. He felt obliged to
increase our awareness of the developing Stadium disorder. From his position
he described women and frightened children around him crying in fear. There
were many supporters of all genders and ages getting very panicky. He also
described the reaction of Brooking, positioned adjacent to him, when these
so called supporters, to my mind, idiots, launched their attack. He
described Brooking profound embarrassment when these morons started chanting
his name. Brooking was visibly appalled that they could ever feel he had
anything in common with them.

It is difficult to express the depths of anger I personally feel about the
people who are dragging our club down with their self-serving negativity.
However I don't have to. Brooking has summed up the situation perfectly.

David Griffith

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

http://vyperz.blogspot.com