In times like these it is perhaps as well to remember some West Ham history and ask: “Should I be this wound up given what’s gone before at this club?”
The last few days have been intense and social media makes things feel so much worse – we live with it or choose to turn away?
Trying to fathom the cause of the current chorus of discontent is not easy as it spreads over a variety of issues – all very commonplace in a game which generates such passion
But the issues which appear to be affecting the mood of the public are:
O Three straight defeats; the poor level of performance in each game, alleged broken promises from the board, the William Carvalho saga, the website statement from David Sullivan which appeared to put Slaven Bilic’s head on the block and the Marko Arnautovich sending off.
There may be more but there is no single focus to the current chorus of discontent unlike numerous issues in our past which have been more infinitely more serious at times, and produced precisely the same reaction.
So let’s travel back in time and take a look at what life is like on the dark side as a fan of the greatest football club on earth and get a bit of perspective on this!
1989: THE BOND SCHEME brings pitch invasions:
Fans demonstrate against then chairman Terry Brown’s ill fated Bond scheme
The Irons launched the Bond Scheme in November 1991 when the Terry Brown-led board offerered fans the ‘opportunity’ to purchase bonds in three price bands – £500, £750 and £950, ownership of which would confer the right to buy a match day or Season Ticket for a designated seat for 150 years. However, despite ‘purchasing this right’ the plan was they would still have to pay annually for the ticket…! The suggestion was that only those who paid the bond would heave the right to buy season tickets in future.
Two pitch invasions took place in protest against the scheme. A post-match demonstration by fans against the scheme and new managing director, Peter Storrie, before a home game against Wimbledon was followed by pitch invasions in home games against Everton and Arsenal.
1989: Massive outrage when John Lyall was sacked after the club was relegated in 1989. That really wasn’t pretty.
2003: Relegation from Premier League in 2003 under Glenn Roeder
2006-2008 Deep unhappiness at playing style from many during the Curbishley years
2007: Carlos Tevez scandal under Alan Pardew
2008 Three games in a row lost 4-0 against Chelsea, Liverpool and Spurs
2008 West Ham’s shirt sponsor XL Airways goes bust
2008: Icelandic owners go bust after financial crash of 2008 – West Ham’s future on the line
2009 Upton Park riot with Millwall after pitch invasion and fighting
2009: West Ham sign Savio for record fee, leaves in the summer and later fakes his own kidnapping
2009: The Calum Devonport knifing affair – his contract is terminated
2011: Relegation from Premier League in 2011 under Avram Grant
2011 Fans divided over the football under Sam Allardyce which ends with no contract award
2016: Alleged all night drinking spree by Andy Carroll and Darren Randoph investigated by club but no public comment on their findings
2016: Dimitri Payet goes on strike and is sold
There’s much much more but you get the drift.
The present situation, to those of us with long memories, feels very familiar so to those who are getting out of their ‘nuts’ have patience with those of us who have been there, done that, got the T-shirt!
COYI
For gods sake get a life people
Hugh – You forgot the Bishop and Morely scandal!
lol that was a classic hehehe
Get behind the team against Huddersfield but if things don’t go our way we all need to start humming the taxi theme tune for Bilic!
The owners aren’t going anywhere unless someone offers big money so no point getting on their backs, their biggest fault is keeping Bilic when it’s obvious he has been out of his depth for over a year now.
Still believe it’s our best squad ever with some great youth prospects ( if they ever get given a chance). We should blow Huddersfield away but I have no confidence in a Bilic team what so ever.
Blow Huddersfield away like Palace Newcastle and Southampton already have lol
Im always up for a worthwhile protest or campaign when warranted.Its when cretins take it over because they think it will be a laugh or they might get their face on the box it turns tits up and a joke.
Great article and puts the current situation in perspective beautifully. In the words of the great song by the Fortunes
‘One drop of rain on your window pain
Doesn’t mean to say there’s a hurricane coming’
This is truly a storm in a teacup and for what? No comparison with the sacking of Gentleman John Lyall or the disgrace of The Bond Scheme. Seriously, the Davids are the best owners we’ve had in a generation. Everyone needs to get a grip.
They have been the worst ever. My west Ham does not exist because of these owners and people like you!
MY West Ham lol Well no actually it is all fans including Iron Mans.
If you was born in 76 you would have only been 14-15 during the Brown Bond Scheme treachery.Bet you didnt have a clue about it.Terrence ****ing Brown.Dont get me started on him.
I was there mate. Season ticket holder from the age of 12 to when these cretins sold our history amongst broken promises. Terry brown was a crook but at least he didn’t do this.
Got a good idea what you had a grip of when you made your comment on the David’s been the best owners in a generation!!!
these are the worst owners haven’t said a truthful word since day 1,Brown didnt really make false promises and lies,in fact not sure we were promised anything by him
Inevitable, predictable and untrue. Who petitioned against the rip off telephone lines and got them stopped, who has run three anti board pieces this week . US!!!!…so please give it a rest.
Whats transparent harry boy is how obvious it is that you and your halfwits from the other site come here saying whats almost a copy and paste comment everytime.
I’vesaid many that anyone who comes here to abuse the site will be gone. Bye
So let me get this right harry jk(joke) lewis if every fan isnt a raging bundle of fire against the owners they must be transparent apologists.
I suppose youre one of these petticoat tails on twitter as well getting your y-fronts in a twist.Strange men who spend all their time abusing accounts or any website that doesnt want peoples heads on poles or want to take part in your witch-hunts.
2007 “Tevez scandal” Curbishley replaced Pardew in 2006.
The only one of those I protested about was the sacking of Lyall, disgraceful after everything he had done for us.
Yes it indeed was Whf32.I wonder how long he would have lasted in this day and age of social media rebellions and the need for quick fixes after a handful of losses though.
Yeah hard to say football was so different then, immediate success wasn’t demanded, relegation didn’t mean the manager had to go. Lyall had a football philosophy inherited from Greenwood, we played in that stylish bucaneering fashion, so many beautiful counter attacks and a in hindsight a fair amount of average dross but he was West Ham through and through his sacking was handled poorly and without the class and dignity he deserved imho. As usual it was really the players to blame and not the manager.
No 32 – well said. I use to love standing in the North Bank and watching a game of football. There were sh!t games but great ones to live long in the memory. What we (supporters) didn’t have to put up with then was the wonderful internet. No news is good news. 24 hour access to media breeds a tiresome load of drivel.
Yep Doughball there is every possibility we stood next to each other at some point I always used to try and get in the North Bank with my mates happy Saturday afternoons 😄😄😄
Nothing wrong with the internet.Its some of the manic depressants who use it are the problem 😂😂
John Lyall is the only West Ham manager to relegate the club twice.
i dont think he’d survived the first one if it was now days
But Radai I keep telling you- there are treatments available. Admitting it is the first step so well done on that score.
As for player nights out on the lash e.g. AC there was one even further back featuring the great Bobby Moore. From memory that was 1970 something & it was night before a cup game (Blackpool I think). Memory probably let me down but think we then lost it 4-0. Life went on…