One of the great things about this season is that a new generation of West Ham fans are suddenly discovering the West Ham Way for themselves for the first time.During – shall we call them, previous times – there had been the distinct feeling that those of us who had grown up with the West Ham Way should somehow expect those who have followed to know precisely what we were talking about.
Unfair, wrong and, despite the endless explanations, of little use to those who had never seen it. Most of us never expected them to.
But everything has changed with the arrival of a Croatian with the Hammers in his heart and great football in his soul – our football …West Ham Unted football.
The new generation are fortunate at the moment because us older folk had grown used to the fabulous entertaining football which unfortunately also included regular defeats.
This season has seen some of our greatest wins, produced from gifted and hugely entertaining feet and heads coupled with a tough underbelly which has seen us lose only twice in the last ten games.
There had been an expectancy we would play better football under Slaven Bilic than we have seen under previous managers but what we are seeing is a shock to the system of even those who have been there and done it before.
I believe Slaven Bilic will be at this club for a long time – with the Oympic Stadium around the corner he has brought the new era with him.
What a time to be an Iron!
Actually rediscovering it , Myself . It’s been too many years without seeing it , and one tends to forget slightly . Be it through getting accustomed to mediocre performances or playing style . My memory has been well and truly jeered back into gear .
Sick of hearing about the West Ham Way if im honest.Been supporting the club for more than 50 years & am well aware of its significance to all of us but in the last couple of years its mentioned by some so much it has taken it to the point of overkill.No wonder other clubs fans & pundits alike take the rise sometimes.
100% agree. I’ve also been going to West Ham games for 50 years and we have witnessed far more rubbish than good entertaining football. There have always been a few teams that tried to play differently to most other teams eg West Ham, Spurs, ManU….and now I’m struggling.. however, West Ham and Spurs never quite managed it consistently.
There may be half a chance uve missed the point of the piece 🙂
No i got the piece,it was good Hugh.Sorry was just a general comment that in the last few years the West Ham Way seems to be mentioned at every turn.As i said,it is a massive part of who we are but seems to be mentioned far more recently than before.Maybe it is because of what the Hippo did to the club,maybe it is because we are moving home.I was just saying i can understand why fans of other clubs & pundits might think we are a pretentious lot these days always hammering on about our ‘West Ham Way’.
It’s just that it is Nice to see West Ham playing with some panash again and it reminds me of years ago . I too have been watching us for 50 yrs or more . We never won much , but we did it with style .. This time it looks like maybe we can .
Ditto , ditto ditto ,
Once smitten it stays forever !
Like to point out that we used to get beat most times because of route one and very tough teams who used to knock us out of our stride !
But it was the way we played football and getting entertained that we accepted the loses !
Well meant post Hugh !
Not everyone will understand fully , its a new era , a new way , it will resemble but without mooro and johnny lyall it will never be the same ! It will be very similar and enjoyable again !
Luvly Jubly!!!!
The trouble Hugh is us oldies have been on about it for 10 years at least and have be told we were simple in the head,
Yes we never won much and dropped down a league every now and then but we never gave up on our style of football and then people came to the club first who never understood us and then to save us from financial ruin,
I understood the need for a Hippo type manager just never wanted it,
We now thanks to the 2 Daves and the board should never need to go way from our heritage way of playing,
Shame some who try and tell us they know about football can’t see further the the end of their noses,
Great piece and bang on
Trouble is bubs some look at The West Ham Way through rose tinted glasses.In my 50 odd years of supporting i have seen season after season of us not playing anything like the West Ham Way.It was a phantom in the room,not being shown on the pitch but forever being rammed down peoples throats by our fans.Its fine talking of The West Ham Way if we as fans accept we have seen a large majority of our seasons past that have been played out with nothing like what we try to believe or is The West Ham Way.Lets face it we have had some shocking times over the years,the team has served up rubbish that had nothing to do with it.Claret & Blue tinted glasses off & we all know it as well.
Exile , go to you tube , west ham v Preston north end FA cup 1964 !!
Watch whole match and listen to David Coleman commentary !!
Watch Moore and how we played ! Then watch cup winners cup v Munich !!
If that doesn’t jog the memory then you never got it at all !!
I dont need to watch it i was there with my father for the PNE cup final.I now exactly what it is.I dont need preaching about it or told what i need to watch to get it.Still doesnt change the fact that it has been non-existent for large periods since!
Yeah I was there too and there wasn’t much of the West Way that Day. Nobody was preaching at you Exile. I was trying to explain that those who have been preached at are now seeing it for themselves.
I wasnt talking about you preaching to me at all Hugh,far from it in fact.
The team played rubbish because different manages came to the club and had no understanding why we follow are club others did not have the young talent to come through,
We won the FA cup with a pretty average bunch of players but our way,
The year we went down with players such as Joe Cole,Carrick,De Fo etc was bad management and everyone said we were to good to go down,but we never gave up our style it ment more then relegation but to some that’s more important,
I prayed for Man U to loose yesterday not because I want them to win but British football does not need Van Boring,the Premier at the moment is exciting young manages playing great attacking football,
This is a sport but to millions every week it’s all they have apart from work and boredom
Let’s play with style entertain and if that brings silverware so be it if not I would prefer to die knowing my club did it the right way OUR WAY
It started with Macari bubs and went down hill from there !
Redknapp was a breath of fresh air but the board didn’t want success as it would have cost to much money ?
After all , why pay out more money when you get a full house every home game, we was starved through greed !
Pardew done well then he was gone ? Zola , bad choice ,
Cearns family started the decline and it snowballed !!
Well done Hugh!
If nothing else, your article served to stir up the passion and optimism that we need to help us forget about the past problems, and look at where we are now in an objective way.
Come on guys; no point discussing whether there was a West Ham Way or not. We must look for things that unite us rather than squabble about what divides us; there are many web sites where numerous contributors just seem to be content in arguing with each other, without considering the opinion of the journalist (eg WHTID); we are better than that-Hugh has written a very fine ‘heritage’ piece, and in the end, points out about the good fortunes we are experiencing so far in this current season; at last we have an astute, observant manager, who has the ability to extract the very best out of each player (look at Ginge, Nobes, Zarate, Antonio, Lanzini, Oxford, Samuelsen, and maybe even Andy Carroll, although he has a long way to go). In addition, we now have a team playing with spirit and pride, working together in an attempt to succeed, and in doing so, bringing back a really delightful style of fast attacking soccer. I’m not going to get involved whether we should call this the West Ham Way, or not, although, I think it must be pretty close. Whenever I fall into despair after some of our indifferent games, all I need to ignite my West Ham passion, is to re-live, in my mind, that superb goal that was scored in the 1980 FA Cup Final against the Gunners. The movement and passes, (especially involving Alan Devonshire) that ultimately led to Trevor Brooking’s amazing goal, is enough to keep the candle alight!
Lets enjoy this season!
WHTID are a breed apart.They could talk the hind legs off a donkey from what i have seen.Normally the same comments by the same people day in day out.But may i add that is just my opinion.The opinion of an old bugger,lol