News

BBC claim West Ham troubles weren’t spontaneous

|

BBC journalist Simon Stone claims West Ham troubles at the London Stadium were organised using mobile phones and that 85% of the attempts to invade the pitch were repelled.

Stone wrote on his Twitter account last night: “It is estimated stewards repelled 85% of the attempts to get on the pitch West Ham on Saturday. Trouble wasn’t spontaneous. It was planned, involved in excess of 100 people and was co-ordinated through mobile phones.”

Since four fans successfully invaded the London Stadium pitch Stone seems to be suggested at least twenty two others attempted to do so last Saturday.

Yesterday a statement from the Safety Advisory Board said “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.”

West Ham fans have been quick to point out the flaw in Stone’s social media statement. They point out it is almost impossible to get a mobile signal in the London Stadium so the mobile phone claim is dubious. At least two of the four pitch invaders have made statements claiming that their actions were not planned.

After troubles in the cup with Chelsea, last year at the London Stadium similar fanciful claims were made by journalists saying the whole thing was organised by supporters on mobile phones and said many hundreds of fans would be banned. No proof was provided on that occasion and the number of bans from that night was a fraction of what was originally reported.

Share this article

I am Season Ticket Holder in West stand lower at the London Stadium and before that, I used to stand in the Sir Trevor Brooking Lower Row R seat 159 in the Boleyn Ground and in the Eighties I stood on the terraces of the old South Bank. I am a presenter on the West Ham Podcast called MooreThanJustaPodcast.co.uk. A Blogger on WestHamTillIdie.com a member of the West Ham Supporters Advisory Board (SAB), Founder of a Youtube channel called Mr West Ham Football at http://www.youtube.com/MrWestHamFootball,

I am also the associate editor here at Claret and Hugh.

Life Long singer of bubbles! Come on you Irons!

Follow me at @Westhamfootball on twitter

0 comments

  • Stow-hammer says:

    Well I did not see these co ordinates pitch invaders and as stated in the article, if you waited to get a signal to co-ordinate anything then they would all be waiting for the go signal now. Maybe the fans should get the stop/go men to help us co-ordinate our evil mastetplans next time? That might work. Hmmm let me stroke tiddles as I think that one through….
    To be clear I did not protest because I believe you need to support the team. But I do not condemn those who peacefully protested.

  • mooro66uk says:

    Good old unbiased BBC again. Where’s the proof?

  • Carrerageorge says:

    Laughable.On a purely practical note coordinating via mobile phones in the black hole of reception that is the OS would make this exceptionally difficult

  • West Ham Fan No 32 says:

    Not sure what most think ? I doubt many more than those 4 will be banned though and thus the majority that won’t ever be happy will remain..

Comments are closed.