Much gets written and said about a lot of players not being connected to the fans in this day and age but that is not an accusation that could ever be leveled at James Collins.
Yesterday the man affectionately known as ‘The Ginger Pele’ climbed into the crowd to donate items of his clothing for the second game running.
As always I was filming the finishing sequence to my vlog and watching to see which of the players would applaud the crowd (it’s never in doubt with Ginge) and there he was. He was walking over thanking the fans for turning up then climbed in for what can only be described as congratulatory hugs, selfies and handshakes.
We’ll get linked with a bunch of players this summer but none will ‘get it’ in the way that James Collins does. He understands what is required on the pitch, what the fans want and most importantly what the club is all about.
He might be a boy from the Valleys but Collins is West Ham through and through. I don’t know what his or the clubs future plans are but if he is taking that sort of commitment into the dressing room then surely there has to be a future role for him.
This has been the week which has seen us get linked with John Terry but in my opinion we already have one of our own.
He is a loyal servant, never complains when he doesn’t play and gestures like yesterday only serve to strengthen links between the team and the fans.
Well done Ginge. . . . . . . . top marks mate.
Brialliant Gonzo thanks for sharing that, the young lad was wearing the shirt at Stratford station, nearly down to his ankles it was. Bet he is still wearing it today. Top lad Ginge.
Lol. . . . .Really John? Fantastic mate, the club could spend a fortune on PR & ambassadors but a simple gesture from a player beats all of it.
Yup! Think his family said they were Brentwood way. I was going to take a photo but decided against it in case the old bill came knocking lol
Why would old we even consider buying John Terry when we have four good centre backs & two coming through ( Oxford & Burke ) I hope the rumours are not true it would be a massive backward step & show a total lack of ambition free m the manager Slav should take a leaf out of Koemans book & give the youngsters a chance
Dead right – get Ginge signed up, the guy is priceless!
Hear hear…
I have always liked James Collins – total commitment, never lets you down, 110% effort every game, never complains when he is not in the team (even though he should be in the side for every game). Why we sold him to Aston Villa I will never know. Thank God we got him back !
I would say that he has got another 2 seasons in him; & after that, I would certainly keep him on the payroll – as a reward for what he has done for the Club.
If he wants to stay he should be given a contract he has been a big factor in us inching up the table to safety without him leading from the back we might have been in much worse shape now, probably 1 more point will definitely have us safe but probably we already have enough and can think of next season, well done Ginge COYI !!!
Ginge also stopped his car after the game and signed autographs and chatted to everyone outside, (as did Kouyate and Nobes). Great to see players that interact with the fans.
My pal saw PDC in Green Street after a match and chased after PDC who was driving a red Ferrari. My pal asked for a selfie and PDC got out of the car and posed with him beside the motor. Loved the fans did Paulo.
I would love to see Paolo involved with the coaching, he would be the perfect foil for laid back Slav, he would work the players into teh floor and drive them mad then Slav could calm them down, although not sure who would calm Slav down having to work with Paolo 😉