There have been many times since leaving Upton Park when Iāve wondered if West Ham United genuinely care about match-going fans anymore.
Of course, the right noises are made, and the club trots out platitudes about loyal fans, but thereās a growing suspicion that some elements of the Hammers hierarchy arenāt really on the fans’ side.
This was disappointingly demonstrated by the clubās response to allegations whipped up by The Sun newspaper, showing scuffles at the London Stadium.
Propaganda began spreading on social media, accusing West Ham fans of fighting each other, without anyone appearing to convey the true cause of the unrest.
The scuffles were caused by groups of Arsenal fans sitting in the West Ham sections, some wearing Arsenal colours and celebrating openly when their team scored. Unsurprisingly, this provoked Hammers fans, many of whom reasonably requested the opposition supporters be removed. Unfortunately, when this didn’t happen quickly, tensions rose and inevitably there was unrest.
This request to remove opposition fans is not only sensible on health and safety grounds but also in line with Premier League and FA rules:
“All clubs have strict policies against support for the away side in home areas, including hospitality boxes.”
The truth of the matter is that Gunners fans should never have been allowed into the home section. Nobody is condoning violence but the rules are in place for a reason. There is a certain irony to West Ham and the London Stadium building a wall to sperate rival fans, whilst at he same time creating an environment where they can gain entry on official tickets.
West Ham fans identified Gunners supporters but Stewards didn’t act quickly enough
The day the stadium turned its back on Hammers fans
What happened in Stratford on Saturday was either a breakdown in stewarding, ticketing, or both. One would expect the club to be sheepish or at least apologetic, but instead, they appear to be investigatingā¦ West Ham fans.
To make matters worse, a club spokesman gave credibility to The Sunās sensationalist report by issuing an apologetic statement to the tabloid:
“The club is aware of the incident and will be working to identify the offenders,” read the West Ham United statement.
“In line with our zero-tolerance approach, anyone identified will have their details passed to the police and will be given an indefinite ban, and therefore be unable to enter London Stadium or travel with the club. There is no place for this kind of behaviour at our stadium.”
Club chose to address the tabloids rather than fans
Allow me to save them the trouble of investigating: this situation was caused by allowing Arsenal fans into West Ham sections and failing to eject them promptly when identified.
The club seem to have completely missed the point that they won’t be able to identify and ban the true offenders because they’ll be Arsenal fans.
The notion that stadium security could identify banned individuals is preposterous. The stewards let Arsenal fans, some in full kit, through two separate security checks to mingle freely with Hammers fans inside the ground.
If high-vis-jacketed staff canāt spot a group of blokes in bright red shirts festooned with cannons and Saka printed on the back, how can they identify anyone else?
Why the club issued a statement to a tabloid instead of defending its fans is baffling. Karen Bradyās The Sun column may have influenced the decision, but one would hope her loyalties rest with West Ham supporters.
The statementās tone suggests West Ham will target and ban their own fans for reacting to provocation, whilst those responsible for selling tickets to Arsenal fans and failing to eject them go unpunished.
Added to the concession ticket debacle, overpriced catering, and the horrendous stop-and-go system outside the Olympic Park, this is another low for the club and the venue.
At Upton Park, away fans occasionally sneaked in but were dealt with swiftly. Itās an open secret in the Premier League that The London Stadium is a soft touch, and away fans feel free to sit in the home end ā a situation that looks set to continue.
There I was thinking west ham are magic everywhere we go. Ah well!
Away fans are getting seats in home areas because of this greed of West Ham selling tickets twice. Our season ticket holders allowing the club to resell their seats is where they’re ending up. Check seat numbers, not rocket science.
I could have told you that. West Ham (all be it unofficial) will blame other fans to make our fans look good. They aren’t going to say yes our fans kicked off with eachother are they
Wait til the inevitable happens, and we draw Millwall at home in a cup tie, be absolute carnage over there
On top of having tourists sitting around me thus dumbing down the atmosphere as they donāt sing, clap or cheer I often have away supporters sit near me with colours (block 134).
Stewards do nothing. They support other clubs anyway!
Boy do we need our OWN stadium!
That’s what’s needed . Anything else is unacceptable. Sullivan’s a receiver of public funds . Until the government stops his poncing nothing will change.
Mate Karen Brady needs to do one and get out of our club!! Absolute scum of the earth, also I used to work in tescos and serve a couple of spurs fans who had season tickets to West Ham purely because it’s Premier league football one stop away on the train.. made me so cross considering I’m something like 48000th on the waiting list for a season ticket, not that I’d even really want to go these days, but how has that been allowed to happen? Football isn’t for the fans anymore, it’s for lining pockets, and that is unacceptable
How am I supposed to get into any game anywhere? Are you home? Where’s your membership? Are you away? Contact your club and get an appropriate ticket. Casual walk-up customer curious about and would like to watch a game? We don’t allow ‘customers’ like you.
Only been to LS twice. Ā£90 for a back row seat. Ā£120 travel and food. Really enjoyed being there. Might like to do this every week if I could afford it. If only all games were 3.00pm KO on Saturday. Unfortunately I don’t live just around the corner and would find it difficult with the varying days and times. I can only attend away games by not declaring a West Ham allegiance and sitting with the home supporters. Similar costs.
I don’t go for the punch up. I don’t go to shout and swear at anyone. I don’t go to annoy others. I just go because I would like to see a game and not have to listen to Jonathan Pearce or his kind waffling on.
Shame that the game is set up for people not like me.
Rainbow laces – disabled access – in the know freebies. All are welcome. Not me. West Ham have been my team for 60 years. Know all about the last 60 years. Suffered like us all so many times.
It’s not just LS operating these rules, though. It is pretty universal. Access for all would be nice. Probably never going to happen. No wonder the game is soulless.
COYI
With the embracing of football tourism by clubs in the PL this is only going to increase in frequency.
So you either enforce strict segregation or have designated neutral/mixed sections, which can be suspended for certain games if necessary.
I’d favour the latter option if there’s going to be tourists all over the place. If you fight in this section you know what you’re going to get. If you’re an away fan in a home section then you’ll know what to expect!
So true. And donāt get me started on the security lines
I’m a season ticket holder in the Billy bonds stand every game there are opposing supporters around us, the seats next to me are general sale seats and im sure they are always filled by away fans ,at the game against arsenal saturday there were away fans everywhere some wearing arsenal shirts ,I thought the stewards stopped any one wearing away shirts entering home support areas?
Unfortunately a lot of the Arsenal fans got the tickets from season ticket holders, and that has nothing to do with West ham. There were 2 in front of me that eventually got thrown out. As for how can away fans getinto the home end, this happens at all grounds not just ours.
The stewards are not West Ham stewards but are run by the ground management, i agree they are utterly useless unless someone is trying to have a sneaky vape!
Check out Paul Argentās comment below Pete š
Do agree about stewards and away fans getting in to home sections though. Itās been happening ever since I started going to games in the 80ās.
The number of our season ticket holders offering their tickets up for games is increasing. It was the same under Moyes at the start of 2024.
Iām constantly getting free ticket opportunities but still wonāt go until we get a decent coach. Free ticket for the game still means I have to shell out for train fare, food and beer. If West Ham were not so shambolic on the pitch Iād reconsider.
Until then Iām not going to be bored to death and leave the ground dejected and totally fed up!
So you only support us when we win?
Considering I went home and away after the FA Cup in 1980 and went to Cardiff versus Liverpool and away in Europe when Tevez was at the club Iād hardly call that going when we are winning!
Iām just fed up watching boring football as it started under Moyes and is now the same if not worse under JLo.
Being currently out of work obvs donāt help.
As millwall fan… here me out I worked at London stadium just before the Olympics and all the way until end of summer 2023 did all the games an events there to me it’s a decent only problem is ish the long walk from the station and the stadium is not really built for footie even the make over its not impressive. I feel bad for all those loyal supporters š and so many agencies there no surprise about the lack of enthusiasm to do a decent job I got to be careful of what I put I could land my self into trouble. Sorry folks
As a Rugby supporter I find this rather patheticaly amusing, the problem lies with ALL of you, for gods sake can’t you watch a game without getting upset to the point of violence when the other sides supporters cheer when their team scores, JUST GROW UP!!!
What idiots sit with the home fans in away strips and celebrate away goals. I’ve sat watching West Ham with home fans at Spurs and Chelsea without any bother mainly because I wasn’t stupid enough to wear a West Ham shirt, visibly celebrate any rare West Ham goal and by standing when they scored. Unfortunately common sense seems to be lacking in some people.
Likewise. Read the room and respect others homes comes to mind.
Should anyone be surprised?
Notice how the ‘affordable football’ rhetoric has been dropped also? Instead it’s big increases on season ticket prices and the removal of concessions.
The thing is they know they can replace us with other CUSTOMERS. Even if they do come from opposition clubs.
As for the stewards, if they’re mainly local people I would expect a sizeable amount are Arsenal fans anyway.
Hopefully the Football Regulator Brady despises so much will stop clubs pricing out genuine fans and taking away concession tickets.
That’s against uefa rules, we can’t have a regulator
Only replying to my comments – how sweet! Youāre wrong to believe Brady, we will soon have an āIndependent regulatorā
hi just a point when i canāt make a game i send them back my season tickets on west exchange which the club states they have members waiting to buy tickets but they go on sale for anyone as my season ticket person who i sit next to says why are you selling tickets too away fans i said i donāt the club assured me they resell them to members but obviously they donāt so thatās one reason away fans get tickets
West Han are a shambles on and off the pitch if the club are allowing this to happen. Adds weight to my Brady comment about only being loyal to the Ā£Ā£Ā£Ā£ and no consideration for our supporters.
Everyone has got it wrong. They’re not match day fans. According to Brady They’re customers.
And that my friends is the problem.
When fans especially at West Ham vote by not renewing season tickets or staying away in large numbers then Brady will realise we are not happy with the brand.
Customers never stay loyal to brands if what is provided is of inferior quality or not fit for purpose.
Brady has never given any consideration to West Ham fans! She is only loyal to financial gain.
Away fans have always snuck in to home grounds. We used to take over Wiganās ground for example.
If we stick with JLo and our performances & results continue to be dire, this will happen frequently and in bigger numbers.
West Ham away for rival fans is a great chance of three points and a day out in London.
Allowing away fans into home sections is, of course, asking for trouble in this day and age. However wouldn’t it be nice if we could return to the “good old days” when ALL fans could happily mingle, respect each other’s right to support the opposition, and the only risk was a bit of good humoured banter ….. or am I dreaming?
Yep, the good old days when Hammers fans used to ātakeā the North Bank Highbury. Plenty of good humoured bantz used to go on then!
We were notorious for taking away ends back in the day.
Yep used to go to quite a few away games in the seventies.
I always remember a midweek game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge when we took the notorious shed end.
“Footballs a funny game”
Some well said points. Unfortunately for West Ham fans the joke is on us and weāve become a banter club.
The cost of football and getting to the games is rocketing up. Entertainment isnāt a word associated to watching West Ham. Having rival fans taking liberties in our own home normally spells trouble.
If we were winning games at home then banter would more likely overcome violence. Frustration however increases the probability of it turning ugly.
If we continue to be the club other Prem teams target for an away win, itās fair to assume higher numbers of away fans securing tickets in home sections.