How West Ham was taken away from the fans!
ClaretandHugh Facebook group member Tony Squires has several bees in his bonnet as the game has seen the rise of issues which he believes has reduced the game considerably in the public perception. Not least among them is the commercialisation of West Ham United and other club. Here Tony addresses the issues which he believes have seen the game away from the fans!
By Tony Squires
Look whats happened since Sky came to town. Look at the kick off times and the way they have changed to maximise revenue. Look how the European football scene is more prestigious than winning the FA cup.
Look how the shirts are decked in gambling company adverts dressed up as ‘sponsorship’ to make it sound respectable.
The way that foreign owners have come in a stripped the identity and culture away from an entire fanbase or the way not so foreign owners tried to corporatise a certain traditional, working class, East London club.
From the FA down to the clubs, to the players through Agents, money to buy bigger and better has taken the game away from the people, from those who could turn up with a few quid in their pocket and pay on the turnstyle into an expensive and more often than not depressing corporate ride of £60 strip shirts and £6.30 for chips and a curry sauce.
And we blame ‘greedy’ players ?
The professional football we grew up, with which was in reality in its own infancy, has aged in to an arrogant, money grabbing, soulless, narcissistic and puerile middle-aged B*****rd.
West Ham – like every other football club – has been taken away from the fans!