So I’ve finally got to see THAT video! I say ‘see’ – but in all honesty, if anyone can actually see clearly what went on in that infamous Wigan car park, you’re a better man than me.
The actual footage itself is pretty much dark and indistinguishable throughout. So as a conclusive piece of visual evidence, either way, it’s totally unreliable. It certainly doesn’t back up Jim White’s ‘jostling’ claim. But equally, it doesn’t disprove it either. But while visually it’s unclear what went on, what is clear is the over-excited tone of the raised voices in the confrontation that evening.
I’m not concerned with the validity of the answers David Gold attempted to give, that’s for discussion elsewhere. What I deplore is that an 81-year-old man was confronted by a gathering of clearly irate bodies who subjected him to a barrage of questions and accusations, and clearly some weren’t interested in listening to the answers he attempted to give. Credit to Baz, who can be heard trying to put his question and point of view in a civilised manner, while at the same time attempting to placate other more vocal members of the group. Fair play too to David Gold, who tried hard to put his point of view. But it’s clear he was becoming frustrated. Whether he was also becoming stressed, only he knows the answer to that. My point is should a man of his age, his diminutive stature, and his known health issues, have been subjected to that kind of confrontation? Not in my world.
Can you imagine Abramovich or Levy finding themselves in a similar position? Not a chance. Their minders would never allow it. DG doesn’t have a minder. He’s happy to interact with the fans when and where he can. But should his relaxed accessibility be seized upon like this? I don’t think so.
By coincidence, I was present at a meeting of a previous Chairman and a group of West Ham fans in the same Wigan car park back in April 2007. We’d just beaten the home side 3-0 and cemented our miraculous escape from relegation that season. The Chairman in question was Eggert Magnusson and it was a very different scene with the travelling fans in an exuberant mood. There were smiles and back-slapping all round. Good old Eggert! Little did we know 8 months later the Icelandic banker would depart leaving the club on the brink of going out of business. Not sure about anyone else, but I know which of the two chairman in question I prefer to entrust the future of my club to.
However, while visually it’s unclear what went on, what is clear is the over-excited tone of the raised voices in the confrontation that evening.
I’m not concerned with the validity of the answers David Gold attempted to give, that’s for discussion elsewhere. What I deplore is that an 81-year-old man was confronted by a gathering of clearly irate bodies who subjected him to a barrage of questions and accusations, and clearly some weren’t interested in listening to the answers he attempted to give.
Credit to Baz, who can be heard trying to put his question and point of view in a civilised manner, while at the same time attempting to placate other more vocal members of the group. Fair play too to David Gold, who tried hard to put his point of view. But it’s clear he was becoming frustrated.
Whether he was also becoming stressed, only he knows the answer to that. My point is should a man of his age, his diminutive stature, and his known health issues, have been subjected to that kind of confrontation? Not in my world.
Can you imagine Abramovich or Levy finding themselves in a similar position? Not a chance. Their minders would never allow it. DG doesn’t have a minder. He’s happy to interact with the fans when and where he can. But should his relaxed accessibility be seized upon like this? I don’t think so.
By coincidence, I was present at a meeting of a previous Chairman and a group of West Ham fans in the same Wigan car park back in April 2007. We’d just beaten the home side 3-0 and cemented our miraculous escape from relegation that season.
The chairman in question was Eggert Magnusson and it was a very different scene with the travelling fans in an exuberant mood. There were smiles and back-slapping all round. Good old Eggert!
Little did we know 8 months later the Icelandic banker would depart leaving the club on the brink of going out of business. Not sure about anyone else, but I know which of the two chairman in question I prefer to entrust the future of my club to.
