By CandH blogger Allen Cummings
I have a room at home that my sons call ‘my shrine’.
Since the boys flew the nest a few years ago, I’ve covered the walls of one of their bedrooms with photographs, many of them signed, featuring my own, personal Hammers heroes. I don’t suppose it will surprise many to know that they’re all players from a bygone era – well three eras actually – the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s.
The likes of Moore, Hurst and Peters; Bonds, Brooking, Devonshire, Stewart and Robson; McAvennie, Cottee, Parkes, Martin and Cross. Those players, and one or two others, were heroes to me and many other Irons then, and remain that way even now.
Although some, but not all, eventually moved on as footballers do, it’s what they did in the claret and blue, and how they did it, that will always ensure them of hero status in my mind.
It’s a sad indictment of today’s modern breed of footballer that few, if any, would stand the test of time the way those ‘oldies’ have!
The events of the last few weeks have illustrated perfectly that so many of modern day heroes are merely temporary, simply here today and gone tomorrow – motivated more by money than anything else.
They frequently depart leaving a bitter taste in the mouth. How many youngsters who not so long ago had Dimitri Payet pictures plastered all over their bedroom walls, have still got the evidence on show now?
There are also many who more recently idolised Arnautovic but are now probably reconsidering the wisdom of their affections.
Someone put a photo of Billy Bonds on social media recently. He is the one man I put right up there, shoulder to shoulder, with the great Bobby Moore.
I can honestly say I never saw Bonzo once pat his chest and kiss the badge in a public show of affection. He didn’t need to. We could all see what it meant to him in every minute of every game he played.
Sadly it is a sign of the times that the big name players we covet, the marquee signings we demand, are only really here for the short term.
The nearest we have now to the old time heroes is Mark Noble. His loyalty alone deserves a special kind of status. But age is inevitably catching up and the knives are coming out. He doesn’t deserve that.
There’s very little room on my walls for any new additions which is probably just as well. While I’m still planning on being around for a little while yet, there’s little chance of any ‘real’ heroes sticking around with me!
Allen,my list of West Ham heros pretty much matches your own.I too had autographs at one time,the complete 1964 F A Cup winning team for example.
The problem now is,as you say,these players are not around long enough to become legends,money is the enduring force now,loyalty is a thing of the past,even when players have just signed contracts,another team will come in for them or they get left out of the team and want to move on for “more playing time”.The legends of our time turned out every week for the love of football and to be paid for it was a bonus.Those were the days.
Nice of you to recognise and mention mark noble, he has been and continues to be a great club servant to West Ham united and is a very good footballer. Over 455 games is some going and deserves respect for that feat alone.
Thanks for a look at your wall Allen, all the names you mention were legends, agree about Noble he is a legend, at least he now has players like Zaba alongside to call the players out for shamelesslly putting their own interests before the clubs, after a great december it was a very dryJanuary, hopefully it will be a favourable February we have two games we might get points from and two that it is unlikely and would be a bonus perhaps 4 points would be an acceptable return. Wolves look on current form like they might wrap up 7th so perhaps 8th is the best we can hope for unless we suddenly start to turn it on. I hope Nasri is fit enough to play soon and if Lanzini can return in a month or so that would really help us out, at least we know those players will put a shift in.