A kind hearted Hammers supporter involved in the alarming incident with a Crystal Palace ball boy has issued an apology and extended an invitation for the lad to attend the reverse fixture as his guest.
The incident occurred when an advertising hoarding at Selhurst Park collapsed under the weight of West Ham fans celebrating Tomas Soucek’s opening goal. The collapse resulted in the ball boy, who was sitting nearby, being at risk of getting crushed as fans surged forward in excitement.
The LED hoardings were clearly not robust enough to withstand the celebrations which began to give way with the boy sat underneath.
Fortunately, Soucek quickly noticed the danger and, with the help of teammate Jarrod Bowen, managed to pull the boy to safety. Although visibly shaken and in tears, the boy was unharmed except for the emotional distress of the experience.
Irons fan Jack Levin, who was unintentionally caught up in the commotion after being pushed forward by the crowd, ended up falling onto the hoarding alongside other fans and West Ham midfielder Lucas Paquetá. Levin sustained minor injuries, including a twisted ankle and scraped knees.
Reflecting on the incident, 62-year-old Levin praised Soucek’s swift actions, telling MailOnline: “If Tomas hadn’t acted so quickly, the boy could have been seriously hurt. We’re all very grateful that he wasn’t injured. My friends and I were deeply concerned for his well-being. I saw that Tomas, Jarrod Bowen, and several other players were comforting him, but the poor lad was clearly shocked and upset.”
The LED advertising hoarding collapsed as fans celebrated with Soucek
Levin added, “I’m truly sorry for what he went through. It wasn’t anyone’s fault; a gate gave way first, causing the boards to collapse, and people just toppled over. I was pushed forward too, and the LED board broke as a result.”
Levin is now trying to contact Crystal Palace to speak with the boy’s parents and hopes to invite him to a West Ham game later in the season as a guest.
The boy, who was shown on television in tears, was consoled by Bowen and Soucek and eventually received Bowen’s shirt as a gesture of goodwill. “I just acted on instinct to pull him out as quickly as I could,” Bowen said. “I saw him after the game—he’s got my shirt now and he’s smiling, so it’s good to see he’s doing better.”