West Ham Thread

[keebone]

How about we cut a deal whereby we accept a points deduction. 2 points deducted and they give us back that £5.5 million sounds a fair deal to me

[Sunderland]

First all of congratulations to the West Ham team on their end of season battle to fight relegation. Some very good performances and on that basis they deserved to stay up. I am happy for a couple of friends who are West Ham fans.

As for the legal battle that Sheffield United and others are fighting, there is good reason to think that they have no chance of success, since all clubs have entered a league whereby they have in theory agreed to abide by the final decision of the governing body, the FA. The FA has already ruled on this and therefore the matter should be closed. Bookmakers 'Paddy Power' are offering odds of 1-10 that West Ham will start next season in the Premier League and 5-1 that they will be playing in the Championship. Realistically I think that there is virtually no chance of West Ham being relegated now.

However, the campaign by up to 7 clubs in the Premier League to fight the FA's decision not to dock West Ham points is still an interesting one to read:

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"The Commission ruled out deducting points from West Ham because "fans and players have been fighting relegation" and are "in no way to blame for this situation. Those efforts and that loyalty, would be to no avail were we to now deduct points."

Excuse me? Am I reading that right? It would be unfair to dock them points because they’re fighting relegation?! Fans of teams that have also been fighting relegation will look at you in disbelief and tell you frankly, that is a crock of you know what!

The same lovey-dovey attitude wasn't extended to Middlesbrough's fans and players back in 1997 when an FA decision ultimately cost them their place in the Premier League. Boro were docked three points for failing to turn up for a fixture at Blackburn Rovers, despite Chief Executive Keith Lamb's insistence he'd been given permission by the Premier League to miss the game. Boro's crime was, at worst, one of incompetence. There was no attempt to mislead the authorities at any point, unlike West Ham

"West Ham were also shown leniency because they changed their plea to "guilty". As we used to say in the Primary School playground, "Big wow"!"

So what if they pleaded guilty? Who gives a toss? They broke the rules, they lied and they got away with it.

And please don't tell Sheffield United fans that the fine was punishment enough. West Ham would have picked up around £2.5m just for being relegated from the Premiership and the parachute payments alone would leave plenty to spare after paying the fine.

By staying up they'll get their £30m from the new TV deal. And wasn't it funny the way Carlos Tevez's new registration was rushed through late on a Friday afternoon, just in time for him to make his pivotal appearance at Wigan the next day? Have I missed something or is there a new rule for West Ham to sign players outside the transfer window?

But why are we surprised? It's simple isn't it? West Ham are a London club. Think I'm wrong? Look at it this way. West Ham are "The Academy of Football", with "great fans", or so we're always being told on TV, radio and in the papers.

Middlesbrough on the other hand are a "provincial" club from the North East of England. Boro aren't remotely fashionable and, frankly, were getting way above their station by signing Juninho, Ravanelli et al. So who cares if the three points were taken off them and they got relegated? A precedent of sorts was set, although the circumstances were different. There was certainly no option of a fine, which I am sure Middlesbrough would have been willing to pay as eagerly as West Ham were.

How about Bury? Ask the people of Bury what they think of football's judiciary. The Shakers were thrown out of the FA Cup earlier this season for playing the ineligible Stephen Turnbull when he was on loan from Hartlepool, who were happy for him to play. It was a simple mistake, honestly made. No mercy was shown there. Bury are from the North West of England. They're not very fashionable either.

And let's not forget Swindon in 1990. They beat Sunderland in the play-off final to richly deserve their place in the top flight, but after admitting making illegal payments to players they were demoted not one, but two divisions to the third tier of football just 10 days after beating the Black Cats at Wembley. They were later reinstated into the division that they had won promotion from, but even a number of Sunderland fans felt that their subsequent promotion was undeserved and Swindon has received a rough deal. But who else cared? Swindon are not a fashionable club either.

Poor old Swindon. But wait a moment ... fast forward to May 1994 when the Football Association formally charged Spurs with misconduct for alleged irregular payment to a number of players. These had been made under the previous regime and were allegedly paid to players between 1985 and 1989. In the hope for clemency and that the authorities would treat them leniently, Spurs co-operated with the F.A. and assisted them by handing over documents which appeared to show that the illegal payments had been made.

However, the F.A. were treating the matter very seriously and a fortnight later before any judgement had been given by the enquiry team, the F.A. announced the arrangements should Spurs be demoted from the Premier League to Division 1 as a result of their misdemeanours. Sheffield United who had finished 20th in the Premier League would be the beneficiary’s of Spurs punishment by retaining their place in the top flight. It sent out a strong warning to teams that they must keep their house in order. But ...

When the F.A. Commission gave their verdict in mid-June the investigation covered 40 charges of malpractice which involved payments made to fifteen players. The enquiry found Spurs guilty and imposed a record fine of £600,000. They imposed a deduction of 12 points from their total at the end of the 1994-95 season and were expelled from the following season’s F.A. Cup. Alan Sugar protested against these penalties on the grounds that the people involved were no longer at the club, and the FA Cup ban and points deduction were both quashed. No surprise there then. I wonder what the FA would have done had it been Wigan or Sheffield United involved?

In summing up, what a wonderful sight it was to see Eggert Magnússon, the West Ham chairman, hugging Kia Joorabchian, Tévez's 'owner'. News of that embrace will go down well across the Pennines. How they will laugh in Sheffield, too, at the irony of Richard Scudamore, the chief executive of the Premier League, taking his seat only to find Joorabchian perched directly behind him.

Blades fans and others will quite rightly be asking that if Tevez was signed illegally, then don't West Ham need to be docked points for fielding an illegally registered player in more than 20 other Premier League games including a win over Sheffield United earlier in the season? Furthermore, how could he sign for West Ham legally before the Wigan game, outside the transfer window?

It could be an interesting summer."

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Personally I think West Ham will be playing in the Premier League next season, but if Sunderland don't capture some decent players in the pre-season transfer window, I hope it doesn't matter too much and we can buy whoever we like when we like and pay some money at the end of the season to keep the FA happy ....

[muckypups]

I heard an interview on 606 with a sports lawyer who reckons there is no chance of legal action succeeding. The best hope for the "Gang of Four' is an appeal through the British courts (and possibly the European courts too) accusing the FA of "a decision that offends common sense" (apparently there is such a precedent!) Imagine, if such a law were applied regularly then Newcastle would be in trouble every time they fielded Titus Bramble...

Apart from the inevitable drooling of the press who will enjoy stoking the fire I can't see this campaign getting anywhere..

[Sunderland]

I heard an interview on 606 with a sports lawyer who reckons there is no chance of legal action succeeding. The best hope for the "Gang of Four' is an appeal through the British courts (and possibly the European courts too) accusing the FA of "a decision that offends common sense" (apparently there is such a precedent!) Imagine, if such a law were applied regularly then Newcastle would be in trouble every time they fielded Titus Bramble...

Apart from the inevitable drooling of the press who will enjoy stoking the fire I can't see this campaign getting anywhere..

That could be the story of West Ham next season if Tevez leaves

[EastSaxCol]

That could be the story of West Ham next season if Tevez leaves

You really think so? Even if Carlitos does leave, I would have thought that a combination of Ashton and (possibly) Bent from Charlton might do ok. Well, I can't see us becoming a yo-yo club anyway.

[tw25rw]

I'm new in this forum and I'm happy to find a West Ham thread, countering the evils of Tottscumism. Just wish there was an antidote to bleating Northerners..

[highchol]

I'm new in this forum and I'm happy to find a West Ham thread, countering the evils of Tottscumism. Just wish there was an antidote to bleating Northerners..

there are many northern anecdotes for westham available, most not complimentary!...

[keddy]

I'm new in this forum and I'm happy to find a West Ham thread, countering the evils of Tottscumism. Just wish there was an antidote to bleating Northerners..

there are many northern anecdotes for westham available, most not complimentary!...

I think he wrote antidote not anecdote. There appears to be a few dyslexic northerners on here, as well

[EastSaxCol]

I'm new in this forum and I'm happy to find a West Ham thread, countering the evils of Tottscumism. Just wish there was an antidote to bleating Northerners..

there are many northern anecdotes for westham available, most not complimentary!...

I think he wrote antidote not anecdote. There appears to be a few dyslexic northerners on here, as well

Get out of that one, son.

Sits back and waits for highchol's witty retort, but doesn't hold breath

[tw25rw]

There won't be many Northerners seen wearing this (dis)tasteful garment:

http://ssl.whufc.co.uk/images/whufc/daf7741.JPG

[keddy]

There won't be many Northerners seen wearing this (dis)tasteful garment:

http://ssl.whufc.co.uk/images/whufc/daf7741.JPG

Not sure about the shirt or the girl-Is she Alan Curbishley's daughter? but the message is alright. I hope the makers can persuade JJB's to sell it in their shops I would also like them to stock WE ARE STAYING UP! WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED and OLD CODGER WHELAN IS TOO TIGHT TO GET A GOOD MANAGER LAWYERS LOOK ELSEWHERE

[EastSaxCol]

There won't be many Northerners seen wearing this (dis)tasteful garment:

http://ssl.whufc.co.uk/images/whufc/daf7741.JPG

Not sure about the shirt or the girl-Is she Alan Curbishley's daughter? but the message is alright. I hope the makers can persuade JJB's to sell it in their shops I would also like them to stock WE ARE STAYING UP! WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED and OLD CODGER WHELAN IS TOO TIGHT TO GET A GOOD MANAGER LAWYERS LOOK ELSEWHERE

When's that nice northern monkey going to try and get the UN involved ?

[keddy]

There won't be many Northerners seen wearing this (dis)tasteful garment:

http://ssl.whufc.co.uk/images/whufc/daf7741.JPG

Not sure about the shirt or the girl-Is she Alan Curbishley's daughter? but the message is alright. I hope the makers can persuade JJB's to sell it in their shops I would also like them to stock WE ARE STAYING UP! WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED and OLD CODGER WHELAN IS TOO TIGHT TO GET A GOOD MANAGER LAWYERS LOOK ELSEWHERE

When's that nice northern monkey going to try and get the UN involved ?

If this drags on it's not only going to piss us off and waste our time but it's going to mess up Sheff U's pre-season. They should be getting ready to get themselves back up but instead they'll be thinking about 'how hard done by we've been' and will take their eye off the ball. If I were a blade I would draw a line, forget the past and get on with it, put all the energy in getting back . Even if by some chance they took our place through some FIFA directive or court, they wouldn't feel they were in the EPL on merit. They had a golden chance against hopeless Wigan and they blew it.

[highchol]

I'm new in this forum and I'm happy to find a West Ham thread, countering the evils of Tottscumism. Just wish there was an antidote to bleating Northerners..

there are many northern anecdotes for westham available, most not complimentary!...

I think he wrote antidote not anecdote. There appears to be a few dyslexic northerners on here, as well

Dear Keddee

Thislexia thingy is it serious? If it is I am northern grapefull for you pointing it out.

[highchol]

I'm new in this forum and I'm happy to find a West Ham thread, countering the evils of Tottscumism. Just wish there was an antidote to bleating Northerners..

there are many northern anecdotes for westham available, most not complimentary!...

I think he wrote antidote not anecdote. There appears to be a few dyslexic northerners on here, as well

Get out of that one, son.

Sits back and waits for highchol's witty retort, but doesn't hold breath

wasnt there enuff wit in my original post?

and sorry for the delay in replying but the liver doc told me to lay off the clarets a while!

[highchol]

There won't be many Northerners seen wearing this (dis)tasteful garment:

http://ssl.whufc.co.uk/images/whufc/daf7741.JPG

No for sure..... but some of you will gladly buy them at 30 quid over the odds.

[highchol]

There won't be many Northerners seen wearing this (dis)tasteful garment:

http://ssl.whufc.co.uk/images/whufc/daf7741.JPG

Not sure about the shirt or the girl-Is she Alan Curbishley's daughter? but the message is alright. I hope the makers can persuade JJB's to sell it in their shops I would also like them to stock WE ARE STAYING UP! WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED and OLD CODGER WHELAN IS TOO TIGHT TO GET A GOOD MANAGER LAWYERS LOOK ELSEWHERE

I would call him smart...he wont have to waste his money on lawyers now uncle Sepps on the case.

[EastSaxCol]

Interesting if long interview from the Mail.

Kia Joorabchian speaks about the Tevez deal and his future

Carlos Tevez is the man in the eye of a transfer storm and Kia Joorabchian is the man with all the answers.

Joorabchian is the Iranian born businessman whose company owns Tevez and took him to West Ham in a sensational coup that has turned into a ferocious battle for Premiership survival.

Tevez scored the goals to keep West Ham in the top flight, but the Premier League fined the club £5.5million for administrative errors made in the initial paperwork.

An independent commission decided not to dock them points, leading to the threat of legal action by four other clubs.

Joorabchian has remained quiet — until now. In this exclusive interview, Joorabchian answers the crucial questions on the transfer of Tevez to Upton Park.

HOW DID YOU GET TO OWN TEVEZ?

I WANTED to buy a club in England but I was drawn to Brazil, where there were many commercial possibilities. It was first suggested to me by Pele’s agent.

Corinthians were a club with 25million supporters, the second biggest club in Brazil, but gates were as low as 12,000. I needed a player to spark interest and bring the club to life.

We looked at many videos, spoke to different scouts across South America and everyone thought we should buy Robinho. Then I saw one DVD of one game of Boca Juniors, involving Carlitos. I knew he was the player.

I flew to Buenos Aires and tried many times to sign him. Each time they said No. They kept on saying No and I was going crazy! He was the player I wanted.

In the end, Carlos decided that he wanted to come and my company agreed a £14million transfer fee with Boca, a South American record. He came to meet me to sign in a Shell petrol station, wearing his flip-flops! When Carlos flew to Sao Paulo, word got out that he was coming.

There was a dinner for 400 Corinthians officials but 3,000 people forced their way into the room and 20,000 lined the streets outside!

He started slowly but once he started scoring goals, it was phenomenal. I said to him then: "This project is yours and mine. You do your bit and I will do mine."

One day he played for Argentina in Uruguay and then took a private jet back to Sao Paulo and played the next night for Corinthians! They loved him for that.

Within the first season, we had brought in five or six outstanding players, we won the title and broke the Brazilian record for stadium attendances. And a little sensation at the centre of it all was Carlos Tevez.

HOW DID YOU END UP AT WEST HAM?

I HAD to return to England after the death of my father. I was trying to buy West Ham and so I showed him that the club had massive potential, with a huge fan base. He wanted to come to England, along with Javier Mascherano, to join me. Like me, he was excited by the potential.

He hoped to be playing for a club competing for a place in the top six. When I didn’t buy the club, I had zero hard feelings but, even though he could have left in January, he was happy to stay. He has a great love for the club and the fans.

THE ORIGINAL DEAL?

It was a situation similar to Alex Song going to Charlton, or Tim Howard to Everton, or Glen Johnson to Portsmouth.

We did everything right. The proof is in the pudding, because nobody at the Premier League asked for me to go there and give evidence. They knew that we had behaved correctly. We used top lawyers, top accountants.

We made sure everything was done, We’ve been involved in many other deals and didn’t have a single problem.

It wasn’t a shady transfer. It wasn’t a controversial transfer. It wasn’t a strange transfer.

It has been said of the old administration at West Ham that they had not presented the correct documents to the Premier League. I don’t know, but whatever happened I’m sure could have been repaired to prevent all this controversy.

What I am very upset about — and sad about — is that Carlos has been dragged into this affair, when he has nothing to do with it.

WHAT HAPPENED ONCE THE PREMIER LEAGUE HAD MADE THEIR RULING AND THE CONTRACT NEEDED TO BE RENEGOTIATED IN ORDER FOR TEVEZ TO PLAY?

LC: Did you agree to tear up the contract?

KJ:West Ham have unilaterally terminated the agreement and I have left it in the hands of my lawyer, Graham Shear, to deal with the matter.

LC: Are you comfortable with that.

KJ: Yes.

LC: To qualify Carlos to play, to satisfy the Premier League?

KJ: I am assuming so, or else he wouldn’t have been able to play.

LC: Who now owns Carlos Tevez, is he a West Ham player?

KJ: He is registered to West Ham.

LC: If he moves to another club, do West Ham make a profit?

KJ: No. To use an analogy, take Ben Foster. If he transferred to another club, do Watford get the transfer fee?

LC: Is the loan deal indefinite?

KJ: No.

LC: If he doesn’t stay at West Ham, could he go on loan to another club?

KJ: Yes.

LC: Do West Ham have a buy-out option on him?

KJ: That is confidential, but we are more than happy to talk to West Ham to try to resolve the problem, if they wish. Of course, Carlos’s views are paramount.

Sportsmail has since learned that the buy-out clause to own Tevez outright is £40million.

THIRD PARTY TRANSFERS?

They are a way of bringing outstanding players to clubs that would not be able to afford them ordinarily. So they increase the competition. Why should only Manchester United and Chelsea be able to afford the best players?

What happens, in Brazil particularly, clubs cannot afford to buy a player. So they go to a business, a bank, a major supermarket, an individual, a person, a wealthy individual and say: "We want Mr X. You put up 70, 80, 100 per cent of the money, let him play here."

It is a little bit like a loan deal between two clubs, except it is a loan deal between the club and a third party.

You buy the player outright, you invest in the player and the clubs sign him from you; they take the registration, the rights on any resale belong to you.

It does not give you any right to influence when he can play or where he should play. Unlike some of the loan deals in England, where, for instance, Ben Foster or Tim Howard cannot play against Manchester United.

In all the time that Alan Curbishley has been manager, I have only spoken to him once and that was when he called to tell me he wanted Carlos to stay.

We never had any recourse with any of our other transfers, not a single one. Michel Platini has said this sort of transfer is a common occurrence in parts of Europe and in South America.

CAN TEVEZ STAY AT WEST HAM?

West Ham's board have to decide what their intentions are.

Maybe they will think they want Carlos and build around him. Or maybe they will think that, for the money, they can buy four or five great players instead.

We haven’t held talks with any club, contrary to what you might have read. This morning it was Inter Milan for £25m, the other day it was Real Madrid for £30m. These stories are the work of fiction.

He has a great affection for the club — and the supporters. The decision on his future is his. He has been very happy there. I have a great respect for Eggert Magnusson, I believe they will be very successful in the future. Even though I didn’t buy the club, I have zero hard feelings towards them.

As for Carlos, you must remember, he is only 23. He will get better and better.

................................................................................

...........................................................

One or two points of interest

1. If I read correctly the asking price will be £40mil to sign him. Maybe too much for us (?) and perhaps outright (that is if not part of a transfer deal) too much for others for someone that's played maybe only a dozen good games for us? Maybe he needs more time in the shop window?

2. It seems that - by some miracle - all the contractual regulations were in order.

3. A desrved swipe at the dodgey pair - Brown and Aldrige. Dodgey thinks dodgey does.

What seems obvious , that apart from Joorabchian's good relationship with Eggy, is that ultimately the decision lies with Tevez. It'd be great if we could loan him for another season or bite Joorabchian's hand off with the asking price.

Edited May 17, 2007 by Happy Hammer

[highchol]

There won't be many Northerners seen wearing this (dis)tasteful garment:

http://ssl.whufc.co.uk/images/whufc/daf7741.JPG

Not sure about the shirt or the girl-Is she Alan Curbishley's daughter? but the message is alright. I hope the makers can persuade JJB's to sell it in their shops I would also like them to stock WE ARE STAYING UP! WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED and OLD CODGER WHELAN IS TOO TIGHT TO GET A GOOD MANAGER LAWYERS LOOK ELSEWHERE

When's that nice northern monkey going to try and get the UN involved ?

If this drags on it's not only going to piss us off and waste our time but it's going to mess up Sheff U's pre-season. They should be getting ready to get themselves back up but instead they'll be thinking about 'how hard done by we've been' and will take their eye off the ball. If I were a blade I would draw a line, forget the past and get on with it, put all the energy in getting back . Even if by some chance they took our place through some FIFA directive or court, they wouldn't feel they were in the EPL on merit. They had a golden chance against hopeless Wigan and they blew it.

The first part of your post... would make it worthwhile!

[EastSaxCol]

http://www.stripcreator.com/comics/AvalancheWHO/393905

[EastSaxCol]

Good news.

From The Independent

"One player who is not now departing West Ham is Yossi Benayoun who had demanded a transfer after appearing to fall out with Curbishley. However the Israel international spoke to the manager on Wednesday and held a meeting with the club on Thursday when he received assurances that he will be a first-team regular next season. Benayoun, who has two years left on his present deal, is also likely to receive a new improved contract which will see his wages rise from £25,000 to around £40,000 a week."

Seemsto be worth a few bob to fall out with Curbs

[tw25rw]

I think Curbs knows his players now so next season, we'll come out firing. I hope we can put an early nail in Wigan's coffin in the first week.

[bomber]

Good news.

From The Independent

"One player who is not now departing West Ham is Yossi Benayoun who had demanded a transfer after appearing to fall out with Curbishley. However the Israel international spoke to the manager on Wednesday and held a meeting with the club on Thursday when he received assurances that he will be a first-team regular next season. Benayoun, who has two years left on his present deal, is also likely to receive a new improved contract which will see his wages rise from £25,000 to around £40,000 a week."

Seemsto be worth a few bob to fall out with Curbs

big wages for a team that will be playing in the championship next season

[ThaiPauly]

Good news.

From The Independent

"One player who is not now departing West Ham is Yossi Benayoun who had demanded a transfer after appearing to fall out with Curbishley. However the Israel international spoke to the manager on Wednesday and held a meeting with the club on Thursday when he received assurances that he will be a first-team regular next season. Benayoun, who has two years left on his present deal, is also likely to receive a new improved contract which will see his wages rise from £25,000 to around £40,000 a week."

Seemsto be worth a few bob to fall out with Curbs

big wages for a team that will be playing in the championship next season

.

I'll wager that West Ham will be in the EPL next year..Tevez or not...they DESERVE IT

[EastSaxCol]

Good news.

From The Independent

"One player who is not now departing West Ham is Yossi Benayoun who had demanded a transfer after appearing to fall out with Curbishley. However the Israel international spoke to the manager on Wednesday and held a meeting with the club on Thursday when he received assurances that he will be a first-team regular next season. Benayoun, who has two years left on his present deal, is also likely to receive a new improved contract which will see his wages rise from £25,000 to around £40,000 a week."

Seemsto be worth a few bob to fall out with Curbs

big wages for a team that will be playing in the championship next season

Ho, ho. You are obviously deluded my friend and have not studied the legality of any ill-fated attempt to get points deducted - let alone the backtracking by that nasty little embarrassement to true fans...McCabe.

Dream on

[tw25rw]

Ho, ho. You are obviously deluded my friend and have not studied the legality of any ill-fated attempt to get points deducted - let alone the backtracking by that nasty little embarrassement to true fans...McCabe.

Dream on

I'd like to see Sheffield United barred from entry back to the Prem for a number of years for their attacks on us and the Premier League. Same with Wigan, who should start the new season on minus points.

[highchol]

whu's fans think they are a big club?

[EastSaxCol]

whu's fans think they are a big club?

I hadn't noticed anyone making that claim.

But I suppose that depends on what you mean by a "big Club"? If you mean a Club with a proud history and a loyal , passionate fan base; then the answer is yes.

If you mean a Club that's part of the universal media-circus franchise, have sold our soul or have delusions of grandier; then the answer is no.

[EastSaxCol]

And as if to emphasise the point - despite a couple of inaccuracies in saying we had 5,000 supporters (it was 3,000) and that the goal was controversal ( it wasn't) ...

Football in the Blood By RICHARD DEACON

C&P from globeandmail.com May 19, 2007

Is 15,000 kilometres a long way to travel in a weekend?

For me, spending 20 hours over four days in a silver tube slicing through the skies at 800 kilometres an hour was just what I was looking for.

Overworked and tired of another wet, never-ending Vancouver spring, I was after something different. While packing away some old photos and picking up my British passport, I came across my inspiration: Granddad. So, with an Easter long weekend on the calendar and fuelled by a comfortable first-class seat with free-flowing champagne, I set out across the Atlantic to trace the roots of my grandfather, George Henry Wood.

The flamboyant G.H. Wood was a man of many talents. A sailor in the British Merchant Marine, proud father and a passionate storyteller, he was famous for his tales from around the globe.

But I was in search of one very specific connection to my dear Granddad: his lifelong dedication to West Ham United, one of England's most storied football clubs.

My agenda was simple, or so I thought: fly to London, arriving on Friday, and for the next three days embrace everything football.

After settling into a comfortable hotel near Paddington Station, my first challenge was to secure tickets to see West Ham play super-club Arsenal, whose newly built, 60,000-seat Emirates Stadium always sells out. I soon realized the task was more than I had bargained for.

Suddenly, I had it. George Henry, he brought me here, so surely he can help me get into the big game with one of his famous stories. I tried something that surely would have made G.H.'s eyes twinkle. I crafted a carefully worded e-mail to the head of West Ham's ticket office, detailing my dedication to Granddad's memory, then waited.

Less than two hours later, while strolling through Hyde Park, my BlackBerry buzzed with a note from the ticket office: "Mr. Deacon, we can help." They offered me a ticket to the next afternoon's match.

During a pub crawl that afternoon, not only did I meet a few great beers, I came across countless people discussing football. It turned out that Arsenal had not lost a game in 23 matches at their new stadium. Granddad's beloved West Ham sat second to the bottom of the league and was dangerously close to being relegated from its status in the world's No 1 league, the English Premiership. What was I in store for at this game that I had come so far to see?

The next afternoon, I arrived at the monstrous Emirates Stadium clutching my prized ticket. Finding my way in, I was suddenly surrounded by sheer madness. Everywhere I looked, there were crazy east Londoners dressed in West Ham claret and blue. Fans of all ages chanted team songs at the top of their voices. We never even took our seats, as every single West Ham fan stood for the entire two hours and cheered on their team. They taunted the Arsenal support of 55,000 people, jeered at the poor referee and generally had a good laugh.

As halftime was about to set in, I decide to beat the rush for a cold beer. Two minutes later, the place erupted in an ecstasy of cries. West Ham had scored a controversial goal in extra time and taken the lead. That's just great, I thought, I came all this way and missed the goal. For the next 20 minutes, I sipped my pint, said nothing and simply absorbed the most concentrated energy and devotion I had ever seen. These weren't just sports fans, they bled West Ham United.

The second half was the typical roller coaster I was told West Ham fans are used to, but when the final whistle blew, West Ham had won 1-0 and became the first team to best Arsenal at its new stadium. But, more importantly, they had given about 5,000 proud supporters a reason to carry on.

For me, I just felt privileged to have been introduced to such tradition, and for that I thank you, Granddad. Let's raise a pint to celebrate a West Ham victory, George Henry.

[EastSaxCol]

Worth checking out for West Ham related gossip:

http://www.newsnow.co.uk/newsfeed/?name=West+Ham+United