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Club reveal tribute details for top man DG

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By Hughie Southon

The West Ham United family will come together before Saturday’s Premier League match against Everton to honour the memory of our beloved late Joint-Chairman David Gold.

An announcement on www.whufc.com this morning gives full details of the trinute with fans being urged to take their place in the stadium early.

This will be our first home game since the great man;s passing at the age of 86, and a  sell-out 62,500 crowd at London Stadium will pay tribute to the life and career of a man who grew up at 442 Green Street, Upton Park, opposite the Boleyn Ground, played for the Club as a schoolboy, and took over as Joint-Chairman in 2010.

A one-minute period of applause will be held immediately before kick-off, as all of our loyal Season Ticket Holders and match-attending fans, along with directors, management, players, staff and Hammers legends stand together with the Joint-Chairman’s family.

Daughters Jacqueline and Vanessa, fiancée Lesley, and granddaughter Scarlett – who will lead out the West Ham United team – will be joined by Sporting Director Mark Noble in a poignant walk to the centre-circle, where floral tributes will be laid in his memory.

Supporters attending the match are asked to take their seats no later than 2.50pm in order to take part in the tribute.

David Gold with West Ham United legends Sir Trevor Brooking and Billy Bonds

Saturday’s official matchday programme will also be dedicated to the memory of Joint Chairman David Gold, including a full and comprehensive tribute, with messages from those who knew him best and a photographic journey through a life dedicated to West Ham United.

Any supporters wishing to bring floral tributes on Saturday are welcome to place them at Champions Place, adjacent to the European Champions statue, situated between turnstiles H and J.

Messages of condolence and tributes in memory of the Joint-Chairman can also be emailed to supporterservices@westhamunited.co.uk. All condolence messages will be passed directly to the Gold family.

Details of the arrangements to celebrate Joint-Chairman David Gold’s life and achievements, along with any further planned tributes, will be announced in due course through official Club channels.

The thoughts of everyone at West Ham United continue to be with the Joint-Chairman’s daughters Jacqueline and Vanessa, his fiancée Lesley, and the Gold family, at this sad and difficult time.

ClaretandHugh says: Well done you Irons. This sounds like a wonderful tribute to a man who was loved to bits by all who knew him and by many who didn’t. David’s passing was the lowest point of a very sad season but he told me shortly before his death that he was convinced the Hammers would survive relegation. He always had great faith in David Moyes and from wherever he is watching the game he will only have three points on his mind. He may have been co-owner but first and foremost he was a fan and lived a life dedicated to the Irons. Love you DG RIP!

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Hugh Southon is a lifelong Iron and the founding editor of ClaretandHugh. He is a national newspaper journalist of many years experience and was Bobby Moore's 'ghost' writer during the great man's lifetime. He describes ClaretandHugh as "the Hammers daily newspaper!"

Follow on Twitter @hughsouthon