The old saying “act in haste repent at leisure” seems particularly appropriate in the case of the Independent newspaper which decided to lambast West Ham and everything to do with it back in May.
And West Ham United is still awaiting an apology given the events which have occurred since this unfortunate piece of journalism hit the streets.
Unbelievably for such an intelligent newspaper the headline writers had one of those Sun moments which aren’t good for careers in Fleet Street these days.
Under an incredibly ill-considered headline declaring “Welcome to West Ham United: the home of deluded fans and the most clueless owners” it launched a staggeringly invasive attack on the club and guess why? They had decided to part company with the former manager.
Interestingly, the piece came from a writer who offered the credentials of being a lifelong Hammer – Kiran Moody which he presumably felt allowed him to throw everything he had.
It’s a piece that the club has never forgotten and last night a top insider told ClaretandHugh: “There has never been an apology from the writer or the newspaper. However, it’s not too late and we await their “we’re sorries!”
Here’s some of the stuff he decided to write:
On the search for a manager in which he manages to smash Slav’s credibility to bits:
Rumours they want Carlo Ancelotti; they made an approach to Jurgen Klopp; they are planning on getting Rafa Benitez: if any of these men do come to E13, it would only be because their club of choice did not take them. Oh but don’t worry, there’s always Slaven Billic. He’s never managed in the Premier League before – whereas Sam has for over a decade – but hey, we’re business people, we know how to hire managers. Remember Avram Grant?
On the West Ham Way
Both Sir Alex Ferguson and Graeme Souness have spoken about this, with the latter saying on Allardyce’s departure: “From my time of football, I’m fed up of hearing (about) the West Ham way. What is the West Ham way? They are a yoyo club.”
On the fans
West Ham fans have the toxic combination of being obsessed with some historic claim to European top-flight football alongside the impatience of the modern-day game. We were promoted back in 2012 and by 2014 we were already calling for European football and FA Cup triumphs.
.
How could Sam provide FA Cup glory – missing for over three decades – just two years after ensuring promotion, and as he tried to find stability in a league they struggle to remain within?
On Allardyce’s problems
Here is the crux of why Big Sam could never do shine at Upton Park: because when West Ham were winning, the praise went to those above him, and when they were losing, the fans took a sadomasochistic happiness in it: losing is bad, but it’s really good when you hate Big Sam.
Kiran has since been in touch with Cand H and will be responding in a regular blog he writes for Westhamtilidie.com next TUESDAY.
The club has no chance of an apology from this cretin.I thought serious reporters were supposed to be unbiased and simply present the facts so that their readership could make informed decisions. His rants were more like anti West Ham propaganda.When did journo s decide how ambitious club fans could be? And he thinks were deluded.
All I a can say to that is that last year under the dinosaur of football I went every week because I support West Ham. The football was awful, the tactics inept and when we did win it was due in the most part to injuries to BFS’s chosen few but this season I am loving what I am seeing and have a real buzz about every game. So thank you to our Clueless owners, our deluded fans and the inexperienced Billic for playing the West Ham way all with a slight twist of not losing too many. Thanks West Ham.
Not worth worrying about! did Austin get an apology?
A yoyo club…?? Being relegated twice since the start of the PL 2002/03 & 2010/11
He is a hippo cretin without an ounce of knowledge of our history and style of preferred play,
Which goes for every other hippo follower ! No class or vision !
Hippo learned the Howard Hughes method of coaching which is on comparison with the
The 1890,s style of football , HOOF !
I am in a position to compare the two styles of management of which to compare the hippo
With a true visionary Ron greenwood, with the aid of that other visionary group of guys who had a plan , in a cafe ! a vision on how to play the game in a more attractive and technical
Way , the west ham way , end of really .
I haven’t heard one pundit on m.o.t.d. mention the hippo in the same breath as when we sacked the clueless jerk .
Why ? Because the Slav has put them all in a box and locked it ,
Sssshhhhhhhhhhhhh as he taps the lid !
CLUELESS , no class .
I think you mean Charles Hughes. Unless that was what Howard was doing in his reclusive years.
Stand corrected ! Even with my badges !!
Both eccentric anyway !!
To be fair to Kiran who now writes a weekly column for WestHamTillIdie.com, we have all written things we later regretted whether it be on facebook, twitter or comments on blogs or forums. We write in the heat of the moment because of the passion for our great club.
With the Internet your writings are there forever and your previous rants come back to haunt you. Don’t be too harsh on him, he is still part of our West Ham family.
Wet pants ?
Say no more Sean ,most suffered samotosis but are now seeing the light !
Agreed Sean. However let’s judge him after Tuesday and see if he is prepared to eat humble pie and say he wa s very wrong. Making heat of the moment rash statements is forgivable. Failing to admit it and apologize is not.
his name is not Moody – it’s Moodley – @kirancmoodley
I was a Sam fan… he got us promoted and did exactly what was asked of him. If I am honest, I think that he was always on borrowed time with the approach of the move to The Olympic Stadium… very much like Mark Hughes at Citeh… as soon as the takeover happened he was never going be the man to manage the club… and BFS was never going to take West Ham to Stratford. Where I really parted company with BFS was the day he cupped his ear at the fans, us, who paid his wages, failing to understand the West Ham way. And yes, there is a West Ham way. Gentleman John Lyall knew it. He would have apologised for the pathetic performance against 10 man Hull even though we won. Genius Ron Greenwood knew it. And neither of them would have critised the fans. Sam did not understand. Did understand the fans… did not understand the fact sometimes you’ll win and get booed, but equally you will lose and get a standing ovation… if you try. He did not understand anything about West Ham. And that moment was the end for me. For our part, people in the media were upset with upstart West Ham’s attitude. After all, we are a small club; we should be grateful, shouldnt we? Well, I think we were…. more than grateful and more than fair with BFS. He insulted us and showed a shocking disrespect and that was returned. I, for one, have no regrets. I watched us lose to Leicester and Bournmemouth at home thi season (deservedly so) and thoroughly enjoyed both games because at least we tried… under Sam there would have damage limitation and no attempt to win. Crystal Palace away, against 10 men… and Bilic goes for the win… and gets it. Brilliant! I know we will lose games under Bilic… that’s part of footballl. I accept that, but what I could not accept is failure to try. Failure to try to win; failure to try to entertain teh fans. This season I know that we will try. And the future looks good. Shame on you Sam for your disprespect and shame on all BFS apologists. They will not apologise and there is no point asking them to… after all, that would be the West Ham way… and they dont acknolwedge such a thing exists. I feel sorry for them. They’ve missed so much.
Yeah Kieran has been writing on Wet Pants Till I Die for a while now.I knew who he was & thought it was par for the course he would be a Wetpant.Lots of good folk on there but some total tools as well in this old buggers opinion.
You should have started the column with a cretin from wetpants and we would have known it was not worth thinking about,
Some find it hard to say sorry when they are wrong,
If BFS was so great how has he managed 2 wins in 12 games and don’t blame the players he is already going down the fatigue to many games route that he used last year,
Every club has to play the same amount of games,every club has the same size squad,
Let’s see if he can keep Sunderland up,let’s see how happy the fans are after a couple of years of boredom and failure,
Mr Moodley it’s simple as a hammer fan just say got it wrong sorry but at the time I made the same mistake like so many,
Then he can move on
As eloquently as I can muster:- What a ****er. A so called fan trying to profit and advance his career at the expense of the misery and uncertainty of last season. Shame on you. Go support Sunderland, I’m sure that turd Allardyce will appreciate your endorsement.
He writes on Wetpants every tuesday i believe.Bobby Shovels.Knew it was him,always harping on about Sam the Saviour.
I’m not sure an apology will do. It’s one thing to be a fan of Meatloaf (yes he got us up and kept us up) but to slag off the owners, fans and most importantly our traditions is unforgivable.
The owners are by far the best in the country, true supporters who care about the club rather than making a profit.
What Meatloaf did during his time was to trample over our traditions and proud history. He almost destroyed an entire group of players from our academy, throwing them under the bus at Forrest, players that have gone on to do very well either in loan or at new clubs. If nothing else this showed how little he understood about West Ham United. One of the main reasons we had a decent first half of the season last year were the injurries to Carrol and Nolan, he didn’t want Sahko, and only played him when he had no choice, then had the audacity to take credit. It showed when his two boys were fit again our form dropped and we only just stayed up in the end. Is this all we deserve? An arrogant, petulant manager who during his time looked like he was trying to make points on the pitch rather than playing to win every game.
I’m sick of people putting the boot in over Meatloaf. He has shown his true class with his comments on Klopp being a soft German and other bits that have come out this week.
I believe it is up to the fans to represent and respect the traditions of the club, their voices should be heard and most importantly they should not be ridiculed by their own fans for wanting to protect these traditions.
To insult us our team our players our traditions our owners our intelligence and our football club is tottally disgusting from someone who considereds himself one of us , tjudas springs to mind ….we should ban him from the stadium till he gives us a full apology