There’s a log of fan anger at West Ham at the moment, Anger with Sullivan and Brady’s inept leadership and poor recruitment dating back over seasons. Anger at Graham Potter’s management and anger at the team’s performances and the seemingly inevitable slide downwards, whilst selling top players to hated rivals. It is not a good time to be a West Ham fan.
However, it seems that anger is giving way to something far worse. Today’s Dailymail.co.uk runs an article headed ”
West Ham fan anger is turning to apathy, set-pieces are a recurring nightmare and they’re paying the price for mistakes in the market”.
Like some long drawn-out saga, the two years since the Europa Conference League win have seen Managers sacked, dreadful recruitment and the club sliding downwards.
In Graham Potter’s twenty five games, only twice has the home audience tasted victory. There’s only so long that fans can be bothered to keep up the ritual very peculiar form of self-abuse that embodies West Ham support. Even friends’ mocking has turned to something far worse: Sympathy.
Author of the Daily Mail article Matt Barlow launches in to the familiar litany of reasons behind the slide. We all know those backwards. but the biggest danger that is which is seen every match day. Unsold tickets, no atmosphere, no singing – an audience who are fast giving up caring.
Brady called them ‘customers’ – but the truth is worse. they’re converting fast to ‘ex-customers‘ as a couple of hundred quid for a match day experience like yesterday is fast becoming a waste of time and money.
No goals. No points. No entertainment. Hated VAR ruining the game. Thousands have not renewed their costly season tickets. Maybe. like me. increasing numbers who love their club are considering going to watch lower league football simply because it hurts too much seeing how ‘our’ club has evolved.
That hurt eventually turns to apathy over time: There’s only so many times as fans we can get upset or provoked into outrage or action over something that is supposed to be an enjoyable experience.
Apathy is fast becoming the biggest danger to West Ham United.
I have supported west ham for over sixty odd years in that time it’s been a rollercoaster , I’m not budging I will always be a west ham fan whatever , the highlight of my time has been being in attendance at 1975 cup final, happy days long time ago, very long time ago,
I will not be renewing my season tickets for next season. Had enough of traveling to the cesspit, sitting in my seat, watching total rubbish, no atmosphere, nothing to see on the pitch, then traveling back home. Might as well stay home and watch the other games on tv
Spot on. I know so many ” old school” fans who just can’t be bothered anymore. Of course they want them to win. But it’s such a chore now. And the match day experience just isn’t the same. People just refuse point blank to give Sully and the Duchess anymore of their money.
They’ve got what they set out to do. A stadium full of customers, not fans, most of them tourists
Well done barrow boy. You’ve killed a club.
My dad grew up in the East End, as a kid he’d somehow get in to watch the games despite having no money.
Life moved him to Gloucestershire while still a teenager, where he is now, and where I grew up.
Being a Hammers fan wasn’t an option, and I’ve never regretted it (may have had a grizzle a few times).
He made sure I got to go to Upton Park as often as we could afford. Getting mugs of stewed tea served in West Ham mugs, and propper bacon butties on thick white bread from cafes in the area.
I’ll never forget the trains being delayed and getting to the games late (the turnstile folk letting me in for free), being stuck at the back of the crowd in one of the stands behind the goal. I couldn’t see jack!
But the fans pushed me to the front with other kids. They made sure we could see our heros (and act as the first line of defence to any wayward shots heading into the stand).
Even writing this I have goosebumps, nothing has come close to hearing the crowd at the Boleyn. Nothing comes close to the thrill of seeing that tide of claret and blue, nothing comes close to pulling on the shirt in the club shop (which was some portacabin in poor shape).
Call this nostalgia, but the fan was the focus as much as the team.
Upton Park might have been old and small, but so is dynamite, and look at the punch that packs.
I fear football, not just West Ham, is loosing its soul.
I’ve visited the London Stadium, not for a game but because I felt I should.
I just can’t see how it could inspire a kid to goosebumps.
I reckon Evertons new stadium would do just that, I saw it and was jealous (said as much here and someone replied that it holds 10,000 less than the LS. I wager it sounds 10,000 times more intimidating).
Apathy, the lack of emotion and feeling, will quickly give way to lack of interest.
The 60,000 will dwindle.
Sullivan is death by 1000 cuts, even if he honestly doesn’t mean to be, he fails to see the wood for the trees.
WHTID
Select a game and all stay away
As a teenager I ran Martin Peters Fan Club, what days they were, after a night game against Burnely. Martin took me into the changing room, one player? would not even look at me, we walked up to Bobby Moore, who looked so weary and done in, Martin introduced me, and it was if a light switched on, he smiles and was amazing.
Sadly the game has changed so much, gone are those days, yes it will always be The Hammers for me, but with a cold heart now.
Apathy, resentment a lack of identity, watching players that seem confused on the field about what they are supposed to be doing each game.
We see them at Forest pressing and counter attacking then at Tottenham not pressing and sitting deep, one of those works and the other doesn’t as fans we know that and we don’t mind losing if we see the players pressing and fighting. I even forigive Soucek for caring enough to out that bad tackle in.
This team possibly needs a manager who is going to simplify things and go back to basics it’s hard to change a tyre when the car is still moving so don’t, give them something they all grew up learning they should all be able to default to that and once that is down build from there.
Getting back to subject of the post there is some truth in it about not winning at home but for me it was the board who I believe did a good job when they first took over appointing Allardyce to steady the ship and making us competitive but have long since stopped and have a strategy that hasn’t adapted to the changes in how football is played and are making bad appointments because there is seemingly no strategy for the first team.
I am 76 years old, so I can say that I am a life long supporter . I had a season ticket at Upton Park and Stratford.
I am absolutely fed up of the Board of Directors treating us supporters (customers as they call us now) as ignorant idots, I feel sorry for Potter , no doubt he was promised a good transfer kitty only to be let down I’m sorry to say I don’t care anymore about us, as we won’t go anywhere while there clowns are in charge.
Martin, you are so right. Add to what you’ve said ; ridiculous kick off times, tourists in half and half scarfs, train strikes and engineering works, expensive beer served by morons. All this has meant I too have given up my season ticket after almost 20 years. I’m now going back to non league football. 3.00 O Clock every Saturday, no VAR, a beer if you want it, happy days.
My son and myself gave our season tickets up at the end of last season after 12 years.
My heart used to sink knowing we had a home game to attend on a Saturday. Sharing the walk of depression with thousands of other supporters to the ground from Stratford station was of no comfort, I felt like a condemned man walking to the gallows.
Sitting in the Bobby Moore lower with my head in my hands seeing the team sheet made matters worse. Executioner pull that lever! Alas, he never did, he left it to our own players to do that!
After the game….(well to be honest, before the game ended) leaving the stadium with thousands of others after pleading with the stewards to let us out early there was the silent depressing walk back to Stratford station, knowing that worse was still to come….arriving home with my wife saying predictably, “I don’ t know why you bother! What a waste of money! You always come home with the hump!”
For once my wife was right. I’m much happier now I don’t have to put up with the regular crap that was served up as entertaining football. I can now do more satisfying and fulfilling things , such as treating my verruca.
Yup,true every word. I have friends who have done exactly as said and now watch Southend.
Very sad to see
Really hurts to think we have over 60,000 fans who have had enough, and once lost will be hard to get back.
I am a huge fan and used to go to Upton Park in my youth, but with work and unable to get tickets have not been to the London Stadium, I dare say I could get one very easy now, but even I would not have the incentive to go after watching game after game on sky.Turning off or walking out of the room not being able to watch the abysmal display.
It really saddens me to say I have told myself I will not bother watching until there is drastic change in my beloved club I have followed for over 50 years
That apathy is because of the bigger problems, so not in itself the biggest one. Also could be changed overnight by
A. Potter replacing JWP in the 1st team squad
B. Brady acknowledging Potter was a mistake and allowing someone with competence to choose a replacement
C. Sullivan acknowledging Brady knows nothing about football and appointing a SUITABLE replacement
D. Sullivan recognising his failures admitting them and handing over to a competent replacement
Simples
@Irish Hammer. I agree with all you said except the very last word. It’s definitely NOT simples! If only.
100% agree with those comments.i am a scouser born and bread but a west ham supporter for over 50 years.when we signed on the dotted line it never guaranteed constant success non top dopamine hits.why a west ham supporter is special is we return home and away in the thousands in spite of that.coming from liverpool i am surrounded by people who have only known constant glory but i have never once been tempted to leave my beloved hammers.when i say a supporter i visited upton park many many times have followed them away and been to the london stadium.i have laughed i have cried i have bounced up and down with joy.in 2 weeks we play at everton in 52 years i have never said i cant be bothered i just dont care.if the management and players dont why should i? it is sheer dross.turgid.and before some people get on their high horse and say you should just go or get on with it they miss the point.there is a dark shadow over the club and its called apathy.in my twenties i would have gone without food.sleep.gone anywhere paid anything.i was watching bonds,brooking,devonshire rank lampard snr and before that geoff hurst and bobby moore coached by the late great ron greenwood.we knew who we where and what we stood for and what we where tring to do.oh yes then there was those two little nasty words skill and entertainment remember them?its all very sad.i make no bones about it now if i was 12 now i would be going elsewhere.but its not possible where could i go.i am lost in the hammers.its all i know.but apathy scares me.lm not use to it i dont know what to do about it.i have spent a lot of time on youtube watching footage from the early seventies i leaned across to my wife and said thats all i have now memories.i have got photographs of the boleyn on my back bedroom wall along with photos of ron greenwood and jon lyall.we deserve better.
ge
Agree 100%. I’ve always been a passionate fan, but the disappointment and frustration is on repeat. The Board, Lopotegi, and now Potter are consistently taking us backwards.
It WILL come back to bite the Board, but really it is the Fans who will suffer!!
None of us want to ever think about turning our back on West Ham. There are 5 generations of us in my family hut the truth is we really can’t sustain spending the money supporting them if we don’t get anything back in return…. Who can afford in this day and age to pay and be continuously let down. It’s scary how true that article is, because I scarcely want to believe it but I can feel it happening within my own family.
Tiredness not apathy is the issue. Tired of the board, tired of the tactics, tired of the trudge home with no hope. Tiredness
There is much truth in this. I’ve supported the Hammers my whole life and, as I imagine it has been for many people, it has been been one of the few givens over the years. In that time I have gone through a whole range of emotions and a bad result for my beloved Irons would often ruin my weekend. However, I have noticed a change since Potter’s dire run of results started and it is indeed apathy. I now expect the team to lose and it follows a pattern of poor team selection (Ward-Prowse) an inability to defend (conceding headed goals and being unable to defend set pieces) and ultimate defeat. I still support West Ham and always will but I just can’t bear watching them at the moment. Something has to change or relegation is looming and many fans will be lost.
Yes i used to be season ticket holder but no more. Sullivan can arrive in his nice Rolls Royce while the likes of me have to go by train and suffer Stratford Station and the stop/go when leaving the ground.Then get on a packed train home after watching rubbish team sellection and ineptitude. Plus of course the cost.
Suns it up completely… l just don’t care anymore
Exactly how it is, Martin.
No more to add…..
We as west ham fans need to see some seeds off growth! We all love west ham and have been taken for granted !Potter needs to take some flak as the starting eleven he picked to play Tottenham was wrong! We needed legs in midfield and actually got away with it in the first half! Even though we were under intense pressure. Potter should’ve told his defenders that they need to pick up their markers. The first goal spurs had 4 x players at the rear post with not a west ham defender in site ? This is schoolboy defending and not what premier league players should be doing? Soucek and ward prowse shouldn’t have been playing as after 45 mins they were worn out! If potter can’t sort out west hams f
to defend properly then perhaps he should leave
Absolutely spot on, 9 years in that awful stadium where we have been humiliated countless times. 2-3 decent seasons of which one of those was in lockdown. I couldn’t go to the game Saturday thanks to the ko being moved for Sky and I couldn’t even give my tickets away. I released them back to the club for resale and they still didn’t sell and they are the second cheapest seats. And we are talking about Spurs who West Ham fans hate. I know so many people who no longer go because of the whole Saturday experience. Without a change in ownership we’re finished as we’re Newcastle under Ashley
Exactly, it really as he has reported it, spot on