Amidst West Ham United’s inner turmoil, for months, if not years the wider world seemed oblivious to fans’ complaints and actually took great delight in the clubs post-Moyes failures with their endless ‘be careful what you wished for’ mantra showing how little they understood the inner workings of the stricken football club.
How times have changed. Finally it seems the penny has dropped, belatedly, that West Ham’s supporters – be they Hammers United with their official protests or just less militant fans on chat sites and radio programmes might actually have a point.
Gaining traction amongst a wider audience – Fan protest
The dreadful financial losses now made public have catapulted the club’s mismanagement onto a world wide stage: Non partisan news sites it seems have finally woken up to the realities of the Sullivan – Brady era as traction grows for change. Football365.com – which nobody can ever accused of being ‘partisan’ – have absolutely eviscerated the Chairman and Vice Chairman this morning:
“David Sullivan and Karren Brady might not *quite* be the worst owners in English football. But they are almost certainly the most charmless..Sullivan and Brady have systematically stripped the club of its identity…And now the poisonous pair are busy suppressing the understandable anger among West Ham’s match-going fans.”
“I saw stewards confiscate anti-Brady and Sullivan banners, both at the turnstiles and inside the away end at Liverpool on Saturday, along with hundreds of ‘red cards’ used to protest against the ownership.
This was reportedly under direct instruction from West Ham, on the grounds of being ‘inflammatory’ and ‘political’.”
And, pointing out the jaw-dropping collusion between two very different Premier League clubs, the report’s author Michael Lee suggests:
There’s a depressing irony in Liverpool of all places backing the whims of a Tory peer and Sun columnist. Bill Shankly would be turning in his grave.”
Fans can only hope this ‘Stasi-like’ suppression of fan fury mirrors the dying days of the much hated Soviet Regime and that we all wake up one day to the news that they’ve scarpered. With what is likely heading down the track, it might just be sooner rather than later.
I don’t want rowdy reds causing disturbances next to me whilst I am trying to enjoy a football game.
Leave me out of your silly and dangerous political stunts. Well done stewards.
COYI
Just stick to football and spare us the ill-educated comments about ‘hated Soviet regimes’. You clearly have no idea about the realities of life in the old GDR, be they positive or negative.
Let us be honest, Brady & Sullivan ‘considering’ leaving the club? Of course they are, there is no money left, they have pretty much stripped us bare and now they want to move on to some other scheme. Care about West Ham? Don’t make me laugh. Care about personal wealth? Oh yes that’s more the mantra. If only we could find a Czech billionaire to invest in us. Oh yes, tried that and he might as well be invisible. Hello mr Government person, I want to buy the Royal Mail, oh yes, look I can prove I am serious, I bought a bit of West Ham united to prove it.
Now, if only we can find a real invest/owner, but Caveat Emptor!
Well said, Martin.
They’re about as stupid as stupid gets.
If they relegate us, they’ll desperately need real fans – not tourists (as they won’t be interested in second-tier football) – to continue going.
Of course, you can’t expect a vertically-challenged ex-adult industry self-serving charlatan to understand that though.
Nor can Baroness Botox, a woman more obsessed with cosmetic procedures than trying to do her job properly (which she’s incapable of doing).
just from reports (I was not there or anything), stewards are being employed like a private militia. I am surprised this is even legal – sue them. Then make good use of the proceeds.
Of course the cards are inflammatory, that is their purpose. I hope WHU fans who are lawyers can advise whether allowed to confiscate cards on the basis of security, which stewards are there to preserve.
Great article keep it going. #BSOUT