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Our club, my club..
Yarmouth 8:21 Fri Feb 27
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Other articles by Yarmouth...
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I was reading the Bobby Moore book, the man in full as he was a real hero of mine as a kid / teenager. If he’d been alive now he would still be even though I’m now 57.
There’s something about our club, our supporters, our ground, the real class players we’ve had down the years that makes me proud to be a West Ham fan.
I’ve posted before that it all started when I was about 5 or 6, living in Southend, the old Man working in Leytonstone selling used cars and going to his garage to sit in the office with him on a Saturday.
I remember hammers fans everywhere, in the street, the shops, the scarves, rosettes, those fucking rattles we all had etc etc then going to the match through the turnstiles pay at the gate.
Moved to Yarmouth when I was 12 and never understood why the kids I got to know didn’t support Norwich and often changed their teams every season or even midway through with most supporting Man U, the scouse, the Yids or Leeds, although Arsenal became popular back then in the mid 70’s.
Never crossed my mind to change club, never. Often hated West Ham for being crap, but never thought of changing. Giving up supporting them – yes – but never changing to another club.
This season has been a real turn around, huge surprise to be where we are and how we’ve played on a lot of occasions. I don’t care if we never win the prem, the Champs league, the FA cup (again), I was at Wembley in 80 after following them right from the 3rd round, and apart from my daughter being born it was the best day of my life and I’m proud to say so.
Some of the players I simply can’t relate to now & that’s why it was great to see Noble given the contract – a real fan, a very good footballer and the core of our club. There’s a certain style, a certain class to being West Ham whether it’s a manager, a player or a fan.
That may be old fashioned, it may not bring us the actual success of a Man U, a Man City, the scouse or Chelsea, but it’s what being part of this club is about.
That’s why Allardyce will never fit in with us. He’s not one of us. I’ve travelled a lot over the years in my job, and when you go in a boozer, a workplace, even a oilfield desert camp or a rig offshore you bump into fellow hammer’s and there’s a bond, a friendship that just happens.
Doesn’t turn into lifelong friendship, but it’s a kindred spirit thing, a sticking together.
Other mates of mine who support the glamour sides freely admit they don’t have that, they don’t feel like they belong to it outside of their own group of mates etc.
We’re different somehow, we’re West ham, and proud of it – and I’m welling up writing this last bit – like I’ve said before in other posts – soppy old cunt..
Don’t quite know why I decided to write this other than reading some posts on WHO this morning, being thousands of miles away from home and wanting to connect.
Anyhow – COYFI’s !!
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Replies - Newest Posts First ( Show In Chronological Order)
BRANDED
8:24 Tue Mar 10
Re: Our club, my club..
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Although the emotion is commendable I don't think it represents the reality of What our club and many like it have become. I'm not saying I can't connect with other West Ham supporters in an instant, I can. But I think the reality of commercialised modern football just plays with the ideas of traditions and kinship that is long lost in the era of multimillionaire players, managers and super wealthy owners. They are the knights of the round table to our serf status but we still allow the shit to happen.
So, I would say you missed out the small group at the top who really aren't in it for any of the reasons you so eloquently stated. They're in it to take every penny we're willing to hand over irrespective of whatever they offer in return, which seems to have an ever depreciating level of value to it.
Sorry to sour the thread a bit but it's undeniable that a huge rot has set in and I fear it will never disappear.
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Exiled In Ireland
8:02 Tue Mar 10
Re: Our club, my club..
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Nicely put.
I was welling up just reading it.....
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ChesterRd
2:32 Sun Mar 1
Re: Our club, my club..
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Great OP. I don't think we are unique with our fanbase but we are certainly part of a small group of clubs that still retain much of a traditional fan base.
The fans are what makes a club and the OP is right, there is always camaraderie when bumping into complete strangers who share our love of West Ham.
People either get it or they don't, you can always tell those who don't.
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62Hammer
1:25 Sun Mar 1
Re: Our club, my club..
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Exactly right, great post.
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strong dreams
12:10 Sun Mar 1
Re: Our club, my club..
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Great post as always Yarmouth.
I specifically like the bit about you being a soppy old cunt :9)
Trust all is well?
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CARTERS
11:14 Sun Mar 1
Re: Our club, my club..
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Yarmouth,well said.
'I remember my first home game, I was a Johnny Haynes and Fulham fan and my mate took me to the Boleyn not knowing what to expect. versus Leeds Utd. who were a powerhouse in those days.0-0 draw but what a game!!
50 years on I still have the same passion.
Left my golf club here in RSA yesterday afternoon and was told by local radio we had been beaten 3-1 by Palace.
crystal palace I ask you!!!!!!!.
Where is the pride I ask, these players on thousands of pounds a week and this slob of a manager sits chewing gum, mouth wide open and does SFA.
Where was Pardew? on the touchline whole game.
Simple really he wanted it and BFS couldn't give a flying..............
Many times in my 50 years of support I've said FUCK IT, but if this Prick is still here next season well that will be it.
I wonder what messrs Greenwood and Lyall would have made of this useless Slob.
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One Flew
10:44 Sun Mar 1
Re: Our club, my club..
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Bunch of soppy cunts ... irons!
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Banjo
10:37 Sun Mar 1
Re: Our club, my club..
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Great post Yarmouth and some excellent responses on this thread.
More than any other club, the West Ham kinship, being West Ham, living it all, you can't bottle it and you can't buy it.
I have met West Ham all over the world and you are right, there is an instant knowing or understanding.
You are also right that BFS doesn't have, never will. Get out of our club now Sam and let's really get down to business.
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Rio or Anton or Les
10:33 Sun Mar 1
Re: Our club, my club..
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Great post Yarmouth.
And all who said something of true sentiment on here.
We are a great club and the better times are here to some extent .
We need to win something in the next 2-3 seasons and that will give the younger Hammers fans a real lift.
I am old enough to remember 1975/1980 etc
The kids needs to experience this too. The Play Off Finals were great days but were out of necessity rather than winning a trophy because we were the best.
Well done again to GREAT Yarmouth!
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jfk
10:22 Sun Mar 1
Re: Our club, my club..
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Some great posts on this thread.
Well done Yarmouth for starting it.
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whu
9:43 Sun Mar 1
Re: Our club, my club..
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Good post Yarmouth
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Your mum
9:33 Sun Mar 1
Re: Our club, my club..
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Yes the feeling of pride for your team, players, history and fellow fans is special. But don't think for a second that only us feel that way.
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The White Horse
3:55 Sun Mar 1
Re: Our club, my club..
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This is one of those Jackanory threads when one has due opportunity to impart details as to how they became a Hammers fan. That's not to inidcate they are not worthwhile (to the contrary.) My Dad was born in Bow and was a lifelong fan as was his Dad before him hailing from Poplar. The White Horse was not born in a stable but in the same building as a couple of other "geezers" that have played for us notably an ex skipper called Bob and a midfielder called Trevor something or other. That buiding is Upney Hospital in Barking.
My Dad (RIP) grew up locally and of course we all move elsewhere - but when people say they have never defected to another team well that's just unthinkable as that thought has never entered my mind. It's a club that is in the blood so to speak and will always be during this lifetime full stop. There was much claret and blue on display at my Dad's funeral as well some years ago and I'm eternally grateful to him for initially taking me to games as a 5 year old - a good way to ensure one does not stray of the path - but again that's not to infer this would ever have happened in my case.
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Crassus
8:47 Fri Feb 27
Re: Our club, my club..
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This is a thoroughly decent a respectful thread in keeping with the OP's honest emotion
To whit I will talk about our Dad's funeral. The colour scheme was claret and blue.
Now he loved the club but as I pointed out in my church Eulogy, that whilst we were fans the club meant more than football, none of us born there were so with a silver spoon, we were of a dispensable people. Be that willingly bombed in the Blitz or sufficiently worthless to be exposed to known industrial pollutants of the like that killed him - and expected to be acceptant of our lot.
It was to us then, the centrepiece of the communty we lived in and a means of expressing ourselves as having worth, that is why ''we'' won the world cup.
There were times when our driving German cars and foreign holidays were not on the agenda but the grit and determination to survive and then achieve against whatever odds remains in the genes and at this point it served as a reminder that the sacrifice of previous generations should not be lost - for that reason we see claret and blue and The Boleyn will and should always be 'home' in our hearts - That is to me what being WH is all about
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Too Much Too Young
8:32 Fri Feb 27
Re: Our club, my club..
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That's sums it up nicely Yarmouth.
Born in Romford 1967, so aged 7 and 12 for the 2 cup wins there was and can ever be any other option.
And as I always said to my soon to be ex wife....I can always get another woman, I can NEVER replace West Ham United FC.
I'm almost gutted they don't get a mention in the divorce papers.
My boys (19, 15 & 12) have been brought up with the view that they are West Ham or there will be problems, but from thier age and perspective, they ain't had much to celebrate now have they?
I just hope this OS move changes that and that I was right to force them to follow what has been for the most part in the past 30 years....shit
West Ham properly prepares for you for all the shit that life can throw at you....and I've never met a bad hammer..
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Uncle Junior
8:30 Fri Feb 27
Re: Our club, my club..
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Crassus last line - well said and spot on
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Hammer and Pickle
8:10 Fri Feb 27
Re: Our club, my club..
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I'm damn sure it will be one of the cultural events of the decade - unforgettable scenes and not a dry eye in the house.
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chim chim cha boo
8:04 Fri Feb 27
Re: Our club, my club..
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Crassus 7:42 Fri Feb 27
That, in a nut shell, is the perfect post about us leaving Upton Park.
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Crassus
7:42 Fri Feb 27
Re: Our club, my club..
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The point that the pups will not grasp and should neither be expected to, is that when they shut the gates for the last time they do so on many of our tangible memories of family and friends now passed and withwhom we had times there
So too, the great players we adored on that pitch, the utterly unforgetable and unrepeatable memories of games and who we were with
Eintracht, Everton, Wolves, it goes on but not as we knew it
But perhaps most of all, it was our youth on those terraces, about to be reaffirmed as gone.......
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Hammer and Pickle
7:41 Fri Feb 27
Re: Our club, my club..
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Great post mate.
I'm a West Ham supporter by choice.
Thinking about it I made it largely because I was more than a little spellbound by how rich its culture is. You really could learn something talking to West Ham fans, who invariably seemed to speak of the club and its history in great detail and with real passion.
As a kid I didn't go to games - my family didn't even follow football - but I certainly watched the 1980 Final (round a neighbour's as my folks didn't even believe in TV at the time). Later as a student, Lyall had left and I kind of lost interest in football all together, which now I regret massively, but I always did follow the scores in the paper.
Today the club is one of my lifelines to a culture I'd otherwise be well in the process of losing, so I can really relate to the sentiment of your post. Not to worry though, the fans are far too magnificent for it ever to be lost. I'm convinced about that after my last visit to the Bolyen (1-1 QPR) and of course the Lion and the Duke.
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