David Gold has replied to the Real West Ham Fans Action Group on social media.
The Action groups official twitter followed by 6,800 people posted a message saying:
’10 years ago we owned our own stadium and everyone loved it… 10 years on our home has been knocked down and we now play in an athletic stadium what a lot of fans hate… progress at its finest’
Gold reading the message online decided to defend himself and replied with:
‘Ten years ago the stadium was (for all intents and purposes) owned by the banks and just before we arrived the banks were demanding the club sell Parker, Green and Cole to pay down some of the debt, as the club had broken its covenant and was on the brink of administration. dg’
The action group have since replied:
‘Mr Gold. The fans want truthful honest answers. This is our open invite for you to come and speak to the fans… come and be a speaker at our march and tell the fans some truth. This won’t be a Q&A, we just want answers from 3 simple questions. Why haven’t we got a stadium fit for football? Why was all our heritage sold online and not brought with us? And why have we been promised things that haven’t been delivered? We just want the truth Mr Gold. No more lies’
“Why havnt we got a stadium fit for football?”
This question annoys me, because it is assuming everyone thinks the stadium is not fit for football.
I don’t agree with that, I am a season ticket holder, and have been for many years. I loved the Boleyn and it will never forget the great memories I had there, of cause like everyone I was sad to see it go, because it was a big part of my life.
However I also love the London Stadium, despite what people say the atmosphere can be just as good as the Boleyn, as well as just as bad when we are not playing well. I agree we had a lot of problems in the first year, but a lot of these issues have been addressed. I honestly can say I love my view, its prefect. I have great view of the pitch and I can go down and watch the players warm up, as they do this right next to where I sit. They have also address the ques for beer, and with the contactless payment, it’s actually a lot quicker to get a drink then it was at the Boleyn.
So ok, you may still in love with the Boleyn, but to say the stadium itself is not fit for football is crazy and an miss leading question.
I could not disagree more.Hate the place and cannot think of 1 good thing to say about it.As for the walk from the station.-An absolute nightmare.
I to am a ST holder, i have a great view and as i sit in band five which is good value for money.
All this about the atmosphere at the boleyn i think people are looking through rose tinted glasses.Many a time i had spent in the west stand when you could have heard a pin drop.Lets face it whatever ground you go to if you are losing the supporters are quiet.
As for the walk to the stadium i don’t touch stratford, i get off at west ham and enjoy the walk via the greenway.
If you hate it so Much suppose you could always support a different team
I think the stadium is good in parts but it has failed in so many ways. My view is fairly good (to the side by the corner flag) but nowhere near anything like the Boleyn. The queues for food and drink are better but the choice by me is just a hot dog and drink so the food choice inside is restricted unless you walk to a different section. The atmosphere isn’t great most of the time and to think there are 20000 more people seems quite ridiculous. The walk from the station is long but at least the service is quick back to London which is great. Overall I dislike the stadium it doesn’t feel like it’s suitable for football and this needs to change because there is no way on earth anyone can describe it as a world class experience.
I cannot believe how some of you can support the board in this way.You are in so much of a minority and yet on this site seem to be in the majority.-Strange.I have missed around 10 home games in 49 years and have seen hundreds of away matches over the years.As a result of this I have made countless West Ham friends and I do not know anybody at all who supports the Board.So roll on the march.
I love the new stadium and I’m very happy to have moved from Upton Park. I just do not understand people who call it a souless athletics bowl – what on earth are they on about? Do they still travel by horse because they don’t like cars? The Upton Park atmosphere died years ago when it was rebuilt and even then we had our silent games. A lot of our fans are so negative about everything.
truthful honest answers. Just what DG has given as printed here. Obviously Fans Action Group don’t like these truthful honest answers, and are looking for another truth ( that perhaps doesn’t exist )
As coljamesuk123 shows there are plenty who have no such problems with the stadium, because they have adjusted, just as anybody has to in the real world.
6800 ( followed by ) looks like another noisy minority. I hope they dont distract our efforts on the pitch to any extent.
All that has happened is that the clubs debt has bee transferred from the bank to the owners.-Who are charging earning a nice amount of interest on it.
As for a noisy minority,you must be joking.I bet you 20000 turn up for the march.
They have actually paid a large chunck of the debt and bought and own the rest, for which they are entitled to charge interest ( the banks would be charging more interest ). Don’t forget that this is after spending £100 million to buy and save the club.
I entirely agree with Sleeps. People just see what they want to see. S&G provide answers, but people will hear what they want to hear. Sadly, despite having saved our club and shown ambition, people will say what they want to say, irrespective of the broad facts. Yes they might be guilty of mistakes – who isn’t – but they wear their hearts on their sleeves and I for one, am grateful that they’re part of our club. In a few years, as we continue to improve the stadium experience and begin to see an aggregate improvement within the team, people will still see, hear and say their version of the truth. They cannot be helped.
What is the large chunk of the debt that has been paid, sleeps?
I agree. I like the LS and believe the criticism being thrown at the club radiates directly from an average first season at the new stadium and a below average start to the second. We have broken our transfer record regularly since the David’s have taken ownership (Jarvis, Carroll, Ayew, Arnautovic) but yet they are still being criticised for not spending on the team. My only complaint is they run the club in the public domain with Karen Brady the worst of them. She should stop the Sun’s column so as not to annoy anymore club chairman into not dealing with us.
agree 100%
Are you serious? yeah, we’ve bought some players but we sold a helluva lot more. They consistently feed us bull****, we needed to sign a couple of decent players in the xfr window but they didn’t want to spend the money. They chased loans or part payment deals. The retractable seating is a farce, the walk to the station is near to an hour after matches, no boxing day home games and that bloody running track.
So who have we sold who we didn’t want anyway? Payet was on strike as was Sakho. I’m struggling thereafter!
2 of the 3 mentioned and Carroll explains itself with time on the pitch ??
They paid 110 million for 50% of a 220 million asking price ? With the option to buy the remaining 50% over a period of four years ? The club had debts of 38 million as stated by cb holdings the company that took control from the banks and was running the club without any problems whatsoever ! The club was never put into receivership it was just that because of the crash the lenders were getting the jitters ! Enter cb holdings ! The club was never in trouble to the tune of receivership because it was running like it should be overseen by a banker !
The Dave’s said the club were in 110 mill of debt which is a lie it was the exact amount left to pay for the 50% remaining shares , they have still a debt of 100 mill according to the board which is probably more deviouse bull shyte ! Make no mistake in trusting anything these people say , just look at what’s been promised and what we’ve got ? A running track not fit for purpose of football , no next level , and no money for next level players ? Freebies ! Loans and championship players that are linked to the club at present are a million miles away from the agueros and debryne type next level players , i find it hard to believe that this goes over the top of peoples heads ! Gullable !! 10 march can’t come quick enough 😎
Well said Lazurus.How anyone can defend the Board is beyond me.It baffles me.Roll on the march,the beginning of the end for them.
‘running the club without any problems whatsoever ‘ we had borrowed 2 or 3 years expected season ticket money in advance.
An hour? are you serious? you’re going the wrong way mate
Agree 100%
Before or after cb holdings ? Either way part of the 38 million debt not 110 million. Lol
You’ve got internet google the sale and get some facts right about the takeover ! There were 4 parties interested in taking the club on not just these porn barons like has been stated ! Of which they offered them all a stake but they refused ? I wonder why !!
Half the prem were in debt at the time and had similar issues all panic and hot hair which is why cb holdings took up the reigns , and was running a steady ship until a buyer came along !! If it wasn’t for the real west ham fans nothing would be happening to put a bullet up their arrys and force a response to their bolloxxx which is now happening ! Left to you brown noses nothing would have happend ! We care about the club and won’t be feked over ! They either pull their cash out or they will be history ! Either way doesn’t bother me as long as we get what was promised !!
Couldn’t agree less with you Rock, they have been disingenuous with the fans at the very least and at the worst outrightly lied on many levels. Our transfer activity has been disgraceful and again promised lots and delivered very little; we just need to look at the Carvalho and Deandoncker approaches to see that.
What 100% agree with Nelly that walk is getting beyond a joke to the station now at the Stadium is ****
I am 65 and have supported West Ham all my life. I loved the Boleyn, but …sit down folks … I prefer the LS!! Although not a season ticket I go to many matches and always get a great view. The atmosphere, when we’re playing well, is great and when we get going its louder than the Boleyn ever was. I think its great that 18,000 (soon to be 23,000) more people get to see the matches than was possible at the Boleyn. I think it is disgraceful that the Real Action Group accuse the Davids of lies – they have never lied. They’ve promised a level of success that has never been achieved (being true fans their excitement carries them away), but they have tried. they repeatedly spend more and more on players (we DO spend more than we receive on sales). They saved us from bankruptcy and the interest they get on loans to the club is less than they could get by investing elsewehere. They listen to complaints and make changes. Gold openly supports and fights for safe standing. Its clear they have no intention of selling for a profit – the attitude of the Sullivan boys makes it clear that this is a long term family commitment.
Well said, Chris. Kudos for speaking out against a narrow-minded minority who seem hell-bent to ride the “lies, Lies, LIES” bandwagon without any thought to actually consider the facts. It’s a sign of the times unfortunately.
I’ii give you a couple of lies very quickly without even having to think.
1.Gold’s quote categorically reassuring fans about the distance seats would be from the pitch.
2.Brady’s article on Claret and Hugh when she made ludicrous claims re the clubs spending and how it rated towards other Premiership clubs.Theres 2 LIES for you.
All that money West Ham generate, yet we bring in a 36 year old LB and an average championship player in the last window, where we sold Ayew and Sakho. For over 20 million. But apparently, we put a late bid in for Dendoncker but wanted to pay in 4million pound installments, totalling £12million. If that’s not lies then I don’t know anymore. The board are totally inept, especially the hag Brady. Stadium is not fit for football. It’s a pikey cheapskate stadium done on a budget.
After we have survived this Season and injured players return with some decent sighnings and a New Manager that has made some notable changes and with the future looking Brighter ;;; who or what will you Blame .?,, Real West Ham Fans !., Things could be better of course ,, but they could also be better at the clubs below us ! .
The Fans at Southampton , West Brom , Stoke , Newcastle and Palace to name a few have a lot more to complain about than us . We are all frustrated , myself included , but a look at how we are progressing gives me every reason to feel optimistic .
An ill advised demonstration would cause us more harm than good .
COYHAMMERS.
Incredible ; there will still be fans complaining even if we manage to beat Liverpool .
“ Real West Ham Fans “ ,,,, numb nuts ….. “ REAL “ West Ham United fans are not a mob.
as with most things these days, people want to believe things are black and white. you’re either unhappy with it all and therefore a real fan, or you are a board lover and therefore not.
i personally don’t love the stadium but i don’t have a huge issue with it. it’s lower down on the list of priorities of things to fix, with several quick easy wins possible when it is looked at (such as more WHU branding/statues/pictures etc). longer term it would be great to square off the stands and bring the pitch closer (perhaps by raising it). in terms of the very long term, with all the losses incurred by the owners, some sort of affordable purchase price to take full ownership (not screwing over the public purse).
the bigger issues which i do have doubts about the board are of course the transfer policy, including scouting and bidding process, and general team make up. hopefully moyes and his crew with sort these out, as i personally believe bilic didn’t know what he was doing.
finally the general running of the club day to day. we need to be far more professional generally, which means no newspaper articles, no twitter and no leaking of gossip to tabloid journalists. we should have a proper management structure in place who are experienced in running businesses, and a link man between the manager, coaches, scouts and players and the management (DoF). a proper hierarchy like you’d find in any big organisation. we need a short, medium and long term strategy at all levels of the club that are fully in sync with each other and regularly reviewed. there should also be an official supporters group that should be met with a number of times a year and engaged with in an open forum.
Agree 100%
I have no doubt that our board are looking at the long term potential ownership issue. If UK Athletics move to Birmingham following the renovation of the Alexander Stadium, and we decide to buy the LS at a suitable price, it’ll be win (UK Athletics) win (public purse and geographic accessibility to athletics) win (for us). We’ll own our own ground again and can then either start again or improve what’s there.
i actually cut myself short because i felt i’d typed too much.
simple wins in the short term:
1) buy 2 or 3 genuinely decent players. not world class, just decent. not worth X million, just decent. we are so short of quality players and also far too old.
2) change the club crest to something more suitable and less cartoonish. it’s basic to implement, relatively low cost and will please an awful lot of people if we get ‘east london’ on there, or even removed completely. some kind of acknowledgement of the boleyn would go down well.
3) commission a replica of the world cup statue. just get more stuff into that stadium and around the area that represents us. along the walk, outside, inside. pay the money.
4) change some of the women’s toilets to mens. there are simply too many for the ladies right now.
5) where have the metal detector wands gone? it’s gone back to slow pat downs again.
6) pre fill LOADS of half pints of beer before the game and just before half time. the rush is coming dummies, prepare for it! right now it feels like they’ve been told wasted beer will come out of their own pockets or something. also, get a few more pumps in there ffs.
Some excellent points made.
The main issue with all clubs and supporters below the top 4-5 is that they have aspirations beyond today’s possibilities.
The owners’ commitment that the club would push-on following the move was more of an emotional aspiration than anything else.
The EPL is a media-controlled industry, not a sport.
The Leicester phenomenon aside, all the 15-16 remaining EPL clubs can realistically strive for is survival. One may win a cup, but without the riches of the top few clubs, a top 4 place is unlikely to be achievable.
Coupled with that is the fact that the vast majority of EPL players are no better than FL quality.
The art of defending has largely disappeared over the past 15-20 years with the majority of so-called defenders incapable of very much other than tearing down a wing and getting caught out of position.
There are other imported aspects of today’s game that few like but still flock to watch only bang-on about afterwards.
That’s why, in my opinion, a realist like Moyes is ideal for us as he will not bow to the emotional demand that we must push-on at all cost. The ability to push-on is not a given.
Excuse the long post and terrible grammar.
I’m a season ticket holder and so is my brother in-law and although i agree the transfer windows are a joke as it’s all lived through the media, and its always our club that ends up being in the papers for all the wrong reasons. I have to say I’m grateful to the Davids for us even having a team to follow, i think a lot of people forget how much trouble we was in after the Icelandic’s left, and definitely people are looking at the Boleyn through rose tinted glasses.
Both my brother in-law and i had a chat about this on Saturday at the game and we agreed we actually really like the stadium. Yes there are things you would change like the chicken wire around the outside, the poorly trained (or just slow) people behind the bars, the look of the retractable seating; however there is also a lot of positive things about the stadium, you can go to the loo and get out without halftime finishing, everybody has an unobstructed view, there is no queue once you get to the station to get in and the noise when we are doing well is so much louder than Upton Park.
Unfortunately, people will always pine for what they used to have, but at what stage do we just move on, we are crying over our old stadium which isn’t there anymore so no matter how much we protest we aren’t going back to it!
I can see some people are upset and will take part in the march but what if the Davids did reply to your 3 questions saying: we do have a stadium fit for purpose, we sold our heritage because we are moving on not looking back, and we are trying to move forward but so is everybody else so this will take time.
What would you do then? Keep marching? Keep asking for answers which you will ignore until it’s what you want to hear? Unfortunately it feels like a bit of a waste of time.
Love this, Wingnut. Well said.
So tell me why we are deemed to be the worst run club in the Premier League. If you make a statement of intent it is not an unreasonable expectation to see everything lined up to drive that expectation but we have not seen that to date. A net spend of £19 million in the Premier League is Bradly the statement of intent we were lead to believe. Our approach to the Transfer market has more of Steptoe and Son about it than experienced business men. I didn’t expect to be top 6 within four years but neither did I expect the last 2 out of 3 seasons to be as bad on and off the pitch as they have been and unnecessarily so as well amd the club is directly responsible for this in the approach to running the club they have taken.
“Real West Ham Fans“
The idea that you are not a real fan if you don’t agree with their points, is a joke and makes a mockery of there views.
I’m not saying they don’t have any valid points, but they come across as a dictatorship. If you don’t agree you are not a Westham fan, on that very basic I cannot take anything they say seriously.
Well said.
My faith in G&S isn’t what it used to be but what’s the alternative?
They do over-promise, they do look unprofessional at times, they do too much business in public but I’d like to know what the “real” fans think the alternative would be if G&S were to walk away. I don’t think we’d be better off.
Better to put pressure on them to improve their management of the club than resort to the board out nonsense
Lazarus – why, when we are all listening to and expressing views, do you have to resort to abuse? I am neither gullible or clueless, but I am a ‘Real’ West ham fan like you and I am going nowhere other than repeatedly back to watch and support West Ham. The ‘Real’ difference between us is that I respect your right to have a different view to mine without feeling the need to abuse you. One of the minor points in the current discussion is that the percentage of people who are abusive is way, way higher amongst the anti-board
Christopher,abuse is of course wrong.But speaking for myself the wrongs,and yes lies perpuated by the Board are so obvious to see I just cannot comprehend how anyone at all can support them.You are all of course entitled to your view but I find it infuriatingly frustrating that anyone can support them.
Hi Paul, I doubt many of us like them but speaking personally sometimes it is better the devil you know, the club is relatively stable, my way is to look at the evidence and yes there have been broken claims (next level, £40m strikers blah blah blah) they held onto Slav too long even though as a bloke he was very nice, they mismanaged the biggest move in the clubs history, this season it looks like there will be a big transfer surplus so recruitment has been sub-optimal to put it in polite terms and finally they can’t seem to open their gobs without putting their feet in them. The evidence for them is out there, the club was genuinely on its knees and staring into the abyss of being another Portsmouth, Leeds or Sunderland, they have steadied the ship even if this season and last it has been more rocky than it should have been, I and quite a few others like the new stadium, the overall match day experience for me is a lot better even if the atmosphere is different than at the UP, I would like us to be taken over by serious investors with a solid plan to build us for the long term not what appears to happening of taking each season as it comes and reacting but in the meantime things are not as bad as many previous years, we have a good squad that needs some proper investment but Europa League should be genuinely achievable next season and that is the next step, Slav had two cracks at it and didn’t take it seriously for whatever reason. I may be wrong it is all speculation but I think Moyes will get us into the 60 – 65 point range each season and that is a progression I would be happy with for 5 years or so and if he can build us further even better COYI !!!
Read a few of the others words relating to their views chris ?? The ones above ?? Give it then take it ! It wasn’t meant for you personally ! It was a response to everyone who like to give it but can’t take it back ! Like it or lump it ! I’m one of the narrow minded and have numb nuts etc etc ! Don’t try and tar brush me mate tar the ones above as well lofl ! I haven’t even read you’re post , I gave up after the I like the L’s ?? Each to his own ehh ! I’m a season ticket holder mate And they ain’t ripping me off without a fight ! And I always respond in kind !
Ok Laz it would be pretty narrow minded if just because people don’t agree with you think they are wrong ? This is one of the few sites where people from both sides of the fence share a common platform, if any don’t like that it is they who should be leaving not others. Most of the hysteria is whipped up by the media not helped admittedly by DS and KB at times, this year there is a lot to complain about on the field but that is slowly being turned around, the team are at times playing some of the type of football we all remember, the numbers regarding the transfers will be in black and white at some point, Sean Whetstone who does a great job of real journalism and has his own view which is different to mine and others who don’t have any major issue with the new stadium, provides those numbers and they show that in recent seasons and this one should be different (i.e. we should see a surplus) the club hasn’t been making any significant profit . We all as fans want mostly the same thing which is to see a team playing well and progressing in an upward direction each season.
If the board sell up who do you want in charge ? We could easilly get another Mike Ashley or Fernandes or Icelandics etc, throwing money at a club or depriving it of money are both recipes for disaster, this season apart there is not any evidence that the club has been deprived of money in the transfer windows and we have bought some good players and other players that may have been good with different coaches / management. The board have made a number of gaffes and self inflicted problems but they have also secured a long term home which we needed to get to that next level at some point, it is not perfect but neither was the Boleyn.
Unfortunately for you Lazurus, it is their club and it is them who decide when or if to sell up. They put their money into the club and it is them who run it. We may disagree whether we like them or not, but it seems those that do not support the “Real West Ham Fans” community do understand this. You will only be causing disunity with the West Ham supporters as a whole. Please do not resort to personnel abuse!
Get off the bandwagon mate ! You’re comments are niece at best and if you think that’s abuse its laughable !! And don’t go making statements of which you don’t know the answer too? Disunity with supporters as a whole ? So we should go with you’re reteric should we and be unified , !!! 😂😂 get a grip mate and smell the coffee ! Hope that’s inside the abuse threshold mate but never jump on a bandwagon before you know what you’re talking about ,!!
32 ! Spot on !! 10 march !! Another day closer to make them listen instead of accepting their crap ! One day you’ll thank us for calling them out !! Wait and see .
Its disgusting that this group call themselves the real West Ham fans. The name indicates that you are not a real West Ham fan if you don’t act like them.
Carry on The Daves – don’t you dare sell up!
So the admin police have been out and taken mine and Laz’s last post down, not sure why seemed like an honest debate ?
nothing wrong with your post 32. can’t for the life of me see why it’s gone.
Yeah there are points at which censorship here goes to far, Laz didn’t actually name anyone specifically, just called us in general gullible idiots which made me laugh 😀 it is good to have an arguement or debate about these things, clear the air get opinions out there, if it was really personal or malicious by all means remove it but was hard to see that much in it.
Everyone’s got there own opinions but I just don’t see how some fans are backing the board ..I used to like them very much but I’m sorry but from what I’ve herd from them the last few seasons is one lie after anoither its a fact simple as that ..I’m not worried about the stadium just the things they said too get us on side …they have spun aloit of rubbish especially about buying players… They said we needed players a few weeks ago and that we had funds to spend.. But in the end they solid player’s and made a good profit …I think that speaks for itself… I got shot down for quoting the brum fans but everything they warned us about is bang on the money …sorry but its a fact …simple…
Well done to everybody involved in this discussion – some have been particularly brave in speaking out – all very balanced and a great read.
Hi Hugh, is it possible to reinstate Laz’s post and my response or to understand why it was removed, I know the usual reasons which are for personal comments but imho I am not sure if their were further comments I missed but it didn’t seem like there was anything that was too offensive in there ? Its a passionate debate especially for those that are anti-board and so I was hoping a bit of leeway could be given because they have understandably strong opinions related to a number of issues and argueing / debating them is good, you don’t make an omelette without cracking a few eggs and all that, for us to come together I feel anyway its positive to clear the air even if those views may not be what the other party wants to hear on both sides of the fence.
Its happened a few times 32 ! We were probably winning the debate 😂😂
Nothing wrong with my or you’re post ? It just removed some facts about the purchase someone didn’t like ! Who knows ! Knee jerk for me lol .it appears numbnuts and narrow minded minority is OK !!! Do you’re job tippex man ! Anyone would think you’re board bias lol! 😉
Lol Laz yeah I very rarely write anything personal like most just write what I think, it means sweet fa anyway, just opinions nothing more and they change all the time. I have come across to others opinions on the owners and their foot in mouth approach to PR and agree a lot with the fact that they could be running the club better, my opinion though is that they are not as bad as some think and they have done some good things, they have made mistakes and try to fix them where they can but its not enough for some that didn’t really want us to move. It was always going to be contentious as every other club has found that moved, there are no immediate success stories no matter how much money you have. We have a massive local support imho the biggest in London, if I were the board I would do away with many things, the rebranding of the badge for one, maybe put the LS behind the crossed hammers to show that is our new fortress and do away with the tacky London, call the LS the OS also the LS is a crap name it looks cheap I am sure that is transmitted to fans.. but I don’t own the club, I am just a fan same as we all are. Lets see what comes of this march anyway, you may all be right and we may be wrong time will tell if it proves to be the right thing and is not just anti board then it won’t be the first time I disagreed with something I was wrong about 😀
here here agreed well done both sides.
Yeah well done is nice to see people that we haven’t seen post much or feel strongly about it on both sides making comments we are all Real West Ham Fans shown by the way we don’t back down when each other is in our face, that is a good enough advert in itself and it is why we expect so much of our players on the field because we expect them to reflect us COYI !!!
cards on the table..i like the new stadium and i also appreciate what the owners have done for our club. i like the london on the badge. though i think because it reminds me of lonsdale london and im an old school east end boxer out of bethnal green. i also dont care what the moaning minority think, or what they harp on about in the media. i reckon we have a high quality squad with some great players. no point bringing in players unless better than the ones we already have. maybe in the summer we will do just that. im an optimist.