David Gold pitched it just a tad too high when he said as we departed the Boleyn there was no reason why we couldn’t be in the Champions League within five years.
But after nearly 60 months of contempt, derision and protests he can feel virtually vindicated should we grab the minimum point required from our final game of the season on Sunday.
It will see us into the Europa League – the next best thing to the CL – an achievement which only a couple of days ago seemed unlikely.
It could also be that we will have the thoroughly enjoyable situation of being involved in the second most important league in Europe whilst Spurs compete in the Conference!
The other team in claret and blue – Aston Villa – had a big say in that likelihood when winning 2-1 at Spuds and in reality that could have been three or four had Olly Watkins taken his shooting boots with him.
Should the Irons make it into the Europa League it will be a thoroughly slap in the face for the usual protesting suspects who believe that vile social media abuse of a thoroughly decent man in his eighties is acceptable.
It’s not, and never will be, and whatever happens at the London Stadium on Sunday I’m delighted as a supporter to see this wonderful club on the bring of a fantastoc achievement.
David Gold is very close to having the last laugh – sometimes the good guys DO win.
we qualified for the europa league in both last two season at the Boleyn so not sure how anyone can be claiming this has anything at all to do with a new stadium which has been empty all season
Agreed. No body can dispute that David Gold seems like a good guy, and has the best interests of the Club and fans at heart. I don’t see the connection between that and the potential for European football next season. Mr Gold and his fellow shareholders have presided over 11 seasons which have been characterised by over promising, under delivering and (repeated) big errors in recruitment and PR. Thankfully, David Moyes has come in and appears, for now, to have injected some sanity and nous that’s been missing for much of our recent history. The stadium is also an irrelevance. In fact, it could be argued that European football has been delivered despite the stadium move (and all the risk and division involved in that) not because of it.
The point of the piece was to point out that his prediction was correct. Some will never give any credit for anything to the board even though they employed and pay the man who brought the success. Odd
But the Board very unceremoniously got rid of Moyes in May 2018. And wasted two years and around £150m by doing so. Overlooking those facts, amongst others, is as odd as never dishing out any credit, surely! For the record, I think that Mr Gold is a good guy. I’ve always wondered whether or not he more than often than not takes a fan-centric view of issues in the Boardroom, and, by doing so, loses an argument or two with Sullivan and Brady.
I don’t understand this past tense point of view. We all know the mistakes but they have had it right for 18 months and still no credit given, Seems to me too many defend their egos and previous position rather than saying “fair play lets move on.” I’mm very glad I’m not judged on past mistakes as are most people but if you are a club owner it seems it’s acceptable. Not in my world
His prediction wasn’t correct though, as the piece stated “pitched it a tad too high”
You wrote it lol
They went back to Moyes because they ultimately messed up with Pellegrini, hindsight and all that, never in their wildest dreams did they think Moyes would did this so quickly. I’ll give them credit for the cheap tickets and paying everyone during COVID, trouble is the list I could make of mistakes they’ve made and lies they told would be as long as your arm – it’s tough to rebuild any trust because of that.
Still it’s been a great season and all credit to Moyes and the lads great effort and up there as one of the best going back to 85/86
Imagine how we would have fared if they had bought a striker and back up midfielder with £35 m wasted on Ben rahman!
If they don’t bring in at least 6 players we will be in another relegation battle again next season. Eg how far wolves fell. Thur and sun football !?
A very good and sensible article. If we had stayed at Upton Park the same so called fans would have slammed the owners for having no ambition. Unfortunately scapegoats are found when the team fail to perform and they are usually the people who have the clubs interest at heart.
Perhaps not having over anxious ‘supporters’ moaning, because they think disrupting the club is a benefit, at the stadium, made a difference to the players.
Don’t want Moyes back, Dawson is ***, who the *** are Soucek and Coufal? How would this people felt representing a team, when non the supporters in the stadium wanted them?
We will find out on Sunday, if banning ‘our’ supporters for next season is a good thing.
And of course: “They are pornographers!” Hmmm- which is worse, supplying or using 🙂
Brilliant article ,as lifelong supporter,ex shareholder,ex part time employee,season ticket holder,member of any old irons had pleasure of speaking to Mr.Gold at A O.I. Meeting, no one can promise success, but we are in better position to pursue our dreams.
The promise of affordable football has been fulfilled ,
Sickened me to see some of protests .
Sickened even more to leave UP under false pretenses
As a lifelong supporter, season ticket holder ,I am proud of our progression, promise of affordable football has been met, everyone entitled to opinion, but not when it turns into thuggery .
Mr Gold attended one of our any old irons meeting ,and is a real Gentleman
I agree Dan, I am a lifelong supporter and season ticket holder like you, I have met Mr Gold and he is a gentleman, a supporter and major investor. We have affordable football and nearly 30,000 more can enjoy it. He does not deserve abuse or any rudeness or thuggery, and we should not have to see it.
well said dan affordable football is the one thing sully promised when they took over from the
icelandics
He said if we can move to the os we can make football afordable to more fans £320 for a adult season ticket £100 for kids anywhere how bad is that top price £780
Thats the reason our transfer budget is a bit low
The reason out transfer budget is so low……they partially mismanaged the finances, poor cashflow, no real wage structure, haven’t got top money back for certain players that left and misfired on around 40 strikers, add to that the “move” wasn’t all they cracked it up to be while selling it to the fans add to that COVID has cost around 50m (not their fault) add to that the amount in loan fees/interest leaving the club the last 5-8 years and the unfortunate backing of Pellegrini (which most fans wanted)
I’m expecting the Premier League executive committee to mete out some hefty punishments against the Judas Six clubs, should have points deducted for their act of treachery.
A six point deduction for each of them would seem appropriate under the circumstances.
Coupled with some hefty financial penalties.
DG’s prediction may yet be proven correct were the above to happen.
Funnily enough, the media love in with Judas 6 appears unabated, the narrative should continue to be one of derision until consequences have been faced.
There are many thousands of us who who agree whole-heartedly. We watch the veiled threats and obnoxious protests with disdain, knowing that the underlying thug culture of the protest message makes it risky to speak up. But we weren’t ‘promised’ anything, just told hopes and aspirations, which largely we have now achieved. A decent team playing good (ish) football under a stable manager, youth players coming through, a probable place in Europe (and in a competition we stand a good chance in), a stadium that’s clean and doesn’t break the bank, owners who actually go to games, etc.
What Hammers United and the other clowns don’t realise is their ‘give us what we want or we will be unpleasant’ campaign will put off any new prospective owner. Who’s going to spend big money on a club whose fans promise to protest if you don’t run it exactly the way they want?
So well done Mr Sullivan and Mr Gold – and on behalf of the silent majority, thank you and please carry on.
Well said – where are the boo boys today, huh? Don’t hear any bleating right now
Couldn’t be further from the truth if you tried. Nobody is asking the club to be run by the way they want, probably just want the lies and spin to stop and engage on what really matters.
Believe me your the silent minority, regardless of results until the club sits down properly and tries to build bridges the protests will probably carry on.
niceley put diamond
A bit of information for ljd 1980 ,and please correct me if i am wrong Hugh david moyes was given a contract untill the last game of the season and paid a generous bonous for keeping us up that was the deal
I dont know for certain but because of that short term deal was something all ready agreed
with pellagrino to come in, in the summer
Something makes me think if moyes thought he had been shafted he would not have come back
Moyes seems, to me anyway, a genuine kind of guy, and he seemed at the time to be as surprised as anyone that the Board were not going to renew his contract. I didn’t say he was “shafted” at all. But there’s no getting away from the fact that replacing Moyes with Pellegrini was a big mistake that set us back. Hugh is probably right, and it’s best not to dwell on the past, and, in this case, to applaud the Board for bringing Moyes back. I think we can do that at the same time as objectively assessing the way that the Board, including David Gold, have handled matters over the 11 years they’ve been in charge.
i know you didnt say he had been shafted ljd i said if Moyes had thought that he may not have come back
If the club can build on what’s been achieved this season then I’ll happily admit DG was right. But one swallow doesn’t make a summer, so let’s see how we progress next season. At the moment there are some great foundations but to maintain, let alone progress, careful investment in a minimum of 5-6 new players is required this summer.
Firstly let me say straight from the get go I cannot stand the new ground we find ourselves in.
I find it hard to go to matches there and dont really enjoy the entire matchday experience even when we win.
I understand that I am tainted in my opinions of the board because of the move to the new stadium.
However . . .
Currently, the club appears to be on a more stable footing on the playing side at least, with the prospect of Europa League football allowing us to further stabilise the playing side with all of the commercial opportunities that it brings.
Success breeds success and with a successful recruitment drive over the summer we can see the start of the “next level” that is used to beat opponents and proponents of the board over the head falling out of favour as a diss words.
Great balanced post
Thanks Dave. Well done David. Thank you Karren. Your efforts and desire to do the best by West Ham United are much appreciated. This season has been a revelation. At last a bit of luck. Wise heads and experience off the field have made us lucky. We can all see that Wee Davey, Alan, Paul, Kevin, Stuart and Xavi are making a difference. Thank you for putting them in place and allowing them to shape our present and future. Hope you can all stay with us for many years to come. Thank you Hugh and the rest of the Clarets, too. Think you might be a lot kinder to Sam Allardyce – but hey – can’t agree on everything.
COYI