Mark Noble has notched up a unique place in Irons history today for apart from Forest Gate-born Ken Brown he becomes the Irons most local captain of our club EVER.
Canning Town-born even beats Barking-born Mooro in terms of proximity to Upton Park and is the closest we’ve ever had to a Cockney captain.
We’ve had Scots, Scousers, natives of Sierra Leone and Australia and Brummies wearing the armband among others but Mooro and Kenny Brown ae the only other local boys to wear the armband and that was around half a century ago.
Bill Bonds was from Woolwich, Dicksie from Birmingham, Stevie Potts (America), Paolo, and Joe Cole (Paddington) are others who have led us but as far as we can see Nobes, from Canning Town, is the first true East Ender to receive the honour.
Canning Town lies just outside true cockney country but Mark’s very close Upton Park connections make him our ideal skipper in the last ever Boleyn season.
Congratulations Mark and Come On You Irons!
Is this Team Captain or Club captain as there seems to be a ridiculous trend in football now to have both? Whilst I like Noble and am really pleased for him I have to ask if it is Club Captain with an eye on a revolving Team captain as to who takes to the field? When we have Song, Kouyate, Noble, Obiang, Payet, Antonio, Moses and Lanzini, are any of them going to be guaranteed a place? I would have (and only my personal choice so don’t shoot me) Song, Kouyate, Payet then a choice from the others and also we can add Samuelson into the equation every now and then as well. We genuinely have a side to be proud of and a squad that has competition for every single place on the park. I think we have creativity, power, pace, ability to grind out results and to play great football. I am one of these fans who every year thinks we will be great but come November am in bits but I do honestly think this is one of the best if not the best squad of players I have ever seen since going and I attended my first game at 5 and am now 40. I feel a different atmosphere in the build up and real expectation, can’t say I expected a 0-3 win at Anfield but I didn’t go there with the usual gut wrenching fear of a 6 – 0 as we can be prone to. I think the future looks bright the future is Claret and Blue.
I think Captain is Club & team. I would not disagree with your sentiments regards the wealth of midfield players we now have, but for me the only midfield players that would be an automatic choice would be Nobs, and Kouyate. (May be Song, he still needs to put in some consistent performances when he’s fit) Obviously Payet is a no brainer, but I feel he is more a ‘in the hole’ player than out and out midfield.
ln my opinion Nobes is not worthy a guaranteed starting spot so l disagree with you there Hammerman. lf we put all the midfield talent at our disposal up for sale, Nobes would be the last to be picked by any potential suitor. My honest opinion
ln my opinion Nobes is not worth a guaranteed starting spot so l disagree with you there Hammerman. lf we put all the midfield talent at our disposal up for sale, Nobes would be the last to be picked by any potential suitor. Local boy who wears his heart on his sleeve and all, but hardly a “great”.
Oh my God … is he Sullivan or Gold’s love child ?? Firstly a ridiculous 5 year contract and now Club Captain when he is not even good enough to be in the team … As for ” joining the greats ” you are mad … That puts him with Moore , Bonds , Brooking etc etc . He is not fit to wipe their a— let alone clean their boots .
Nobles name should be guarenteed every game on the team sheet, a club like west ham needs to at least keep a link on the pitch to the the players are supposed to represent, otherwise the club is just a name on a shirt.
Places should be guaranteed on merit, and no other consideration. Nobes is a decent player no question about it but we have better players than him in my view. He is not a better defensive midfielder than Kouyate or Song for starters, and certainly Obiang is tidier and better at tackling and winning the ball from what l have seen. And lets not even compare him to the attacking midfilders or wingers that we now have. I fear he is going to be “Nolan” all over again, keeping the team from achieving its true potential with better players sat on the bench. Hope he proves me wrong
Dicksie a Brummie?!?! Nah, we may have signed him from Brum but he was born in Bristol.
Lol,yes,i would have thought his strong Bristolian accent might of given it away where he came from.Strangest Brummie accent i have ever heared,lol