Football Forum | Ticket Forum | Off-Topic Forum | All

dahonz 1:22 Fri Aug 28
Sullivan. Speaking before he thinks again

I cannot see any reason why a chairmen would quote something like this to press with the current manager actively working??

What a cunt!

Benitez was 'hours away' from West Ham
Rafael Benitez was "within three hours" of joining West Ham this summer before moving to Real Madrid, according to Hammers chief David Sullivan.

The Spaniard was heavily linked with a move to West Ham in the summer after leaving Serie A side Napoli.

Benitez was the frontrunner to replace Sam Allardyce in the Upton Park hotseat, but was appointed Real Madrid manager after the Spanish side made their interest in the manager clear.

West Ham eventually installed Slaven Bilic as their new boss, but joint-chairman David Sullivan has revealed Benitez was only "three hours" away from sealing a return to the Premier League.

"Rafa Benitez was within three hours of signing for us," Sullivan said, as quoted by the London Evening Standard.

"Every clause in his contract was agreed and then he went to Real Madrid. It was a real blow because he is a really experienced manager in England and done really well in Italy.

"We had an agreement in place but you have to pick yourself up, look who else is available and pick the best you can."

Despite more or less admitting Bilic was not the club's first choice for boss, Sullivan has reiterated his support for the already under-pressure Croatian, with back-to-back defeats raising questions over his side.

"Whoever you take is a gamble. The bottom line is we have a manager. He has our 100 per cent support. We will support him in the transfer market. We like him."

Private Dancer 5:22 Sat Aug 29
Re: Sullivan. Speaking before he thinks again

Hopefully this will put an end to the 'I think Bilic was always the first choice' comments you see on here.

Still not gutted we missed out on the waiter.

kylay 2:15 Sat Aug 29
Re: Sullivan. Speaking before he thinks again

The owners haven't done they only don't so far, so not really damned if they do

Stranded 2:10 Sat Aug 29
Re: Sullivan. Speaking before he thinks again

*suggesting (fucking predictive-text)

Stranded 2:09 Sat Aug 29
Re: Sullivan. Speaking before he thinks again

Gavros 12:47

A thread largely slating the board. Another one suggestions all sorts of nefarious dealings by Allardyce & Curtis. Who knew they had it in them?

It's like that Two Ronnies sketch 'The Worm that Turned' over there these days.

Gavros 1:57 Sat Aug 29
Re: Sullivan. Speaking before he thinks again

If there were a support to success ratio (which you can probably come up with by awarding points ie 1 for FA cup, 3 for league and 5 for European cups) we'd be the best supported large club in the country.

chim chim cha boo 1:25 Sat Aug 29
Re: Sullivan. Speaking before he thinks again

...plus Hermit, if you read my earlier post again you'll realise that we are arguing the same point from different angles.

chim chim cha boo 1:21 Sat Aug 29
Re: Sullivan. Speaking before he thinks again

Interestingly enough Hermit I think it might be true that it's down to us. I speak of course as one of those who have thrown money at the club since I was a little boy.

All those times when we had bigger attendences than almost all the other London clubs- double the crowds they had at chelsea, and where really has it got us?

If this was a company we used we'd have walked away years ago but it's not 'a company' or even 'a business' (though a lot of people love to argue that it is) because you can't simply take your business elsewhere. Well, not without being some sort of cunt, anyway.

Even uncle Terry feels inclined to return to the scene of the crime every other Saturday. What can we do? Fuck knows, but I have a sneaking suspicion that if the fans had started to desert they might have tried a bit harder. We'll maybe never know unless we old boys feel disconnected at the new stadium and walk away.

Would they really care? We shout and swear and fight and are a bit rough anyway. Maybe they aspire to be Miles' 'London team' 'although I support Barcelona too yeah?'

Hammer and Pickle 12:50 Sat Aug 29
Re: Sullivan. Speaking before he thinks again

KUMB is for the weedy cunts what can't hack it on WHO.

Gavros 12:47 Sat Aug 29
Re: Sullivan. Speaking before he thinks again

You think the knicker wetting is bad on here, check out kUMB. Hosepiping hot piss through their soiled dungarees.

jimbo2. 12:44 Sat Aug 29
Re: Sullivan. Speaking before he thinks again

Jesus, you lot aren't happy unless your complaining about something at WH! He is just telling it like it is, so what! The owners are dammed if the do & dammed if they don't. Whatever happened to "West Ham have the best fans"? Not any more I'm afraid.

bruuuno 12:16 Sat Aug 29
Re: Sullivan. Speaking before he thinks again

Ronald_antly 12:14 Sat Aug 29

If he's going to do that then he very much is our man. If by 'our' you mean those wetter of knickers that are WHOers.

Ronald_antly 12:14 Sat Aug 29
Re: Sullivan. Speaking before he thinks again

If what Sullivan is quoted as having said is factual, then what's the problem?

If Bilic is going to run to his bedroom, in a fit of tears, over this then he clearly isn't our man.

Hermit Road 12:09 Sat Aug 29
Re: Sullivan. Speaking before he thinks again

That's right, the fans are the biggest problem at our club. Not the captain leaving a few days after being first choice, the forwards getting nicked/slagging off the club/running away to ISIS, the club not spending enough money, the league one keeper in goal, the throwing matches in Europe, the losses to the weakest sides in the division, the 6th choice manager, the chairman who won't shut up. No, it's the fans who turn up and pack it out every week at top dollar. They're the real reason we are in the mess we found ourselves in. If only they didn't car so much.

Your mum 12:05 Sat Aug 29
Re: Sullivan. Speaking before he thinks again

It's a heady mix of 90% hysterical knee jerking fans and 10% badly timed PR no nos..irons.

Irons10 11:58 Fri Aug 28
Re: Sullivan. Speaking before he thinks again

Scrimping about for the bargain basement deadline jumble sale deals.

Looking for piss-poor journeymen and players on cheap loans that nobody else want

Stingy penny-pinching, tightfisted, Russian midget cunt.

We're going to limp over the line to the OS if we get lucky.

chim chim cha boo 11:43 Fri Aug 28
Re: Sullivan. Speaking before he thinks again

I can't see them walking away any time soon Gent. Let's face it, even in the 80s and 90s when football was losing money hand-over-fist West Ham was a cash cow that needed very little feeding. At one time we were the only top-flight club that actually turned a profit and we made uncle Terry a very rich man.

We've always been too loyal for our own good if anything. We'll pay whatever they charge to watch any kind of old shit. It's only now that ticket prices are truly taking the piss that some cannot afford to go or would rather spend their hard-earned money somewhere else. After all, it's not difficult to watch our matches on TV live.

Sullivan loves being the owner, there's a constant revenue stream and he gets to feel important. I do think he genuinely loves the club and wants to see us pointing in the right direction. Unless some super rich people make a stupid offer the club is his. He's honest enough to freely admit that.

I vacillate in my feelings towards him personally but I do like him being a bit outspoken at times. Because of the way him and Gold made their money he'll always feel a bit of a maverick and an outsider and that's reflected in his behavior. Most of the time I like it. Regarding this thread, I can't see much to get upset or excited about.

hornchurchsteve 11:20 Fri Aug 28
Re: Sullivan. Speaking before he thinks again

Complete cunt of a man.

Gentile 11:15 Fri Aug 28
Re: Sullivan. Speaking before he thinks again

I don't think the poster is questioning if the owner gives a fuck about his views. He is pointing out that the owner has made comments that most would agree, irrespective of the context, wouldn't make Bilic feel that great. If I took a new job and then read an interview from my new boss where he said he wanted a different employee for my role, but didn't get him and appointed me instead I would feel a little bit let down. I'm sure most would.

Sullivan has very little class and his comments confirm this. He should just shut up. His son is just as bad and does well to be a total embarrassment to the club via social media.

I don't have much time for any of the three business men that run the club because they will all be gone within the next 2/3 years after they cash in. They're only here for the money.

chim chim cha boo 10:29 Fri Aug 28
Re: Sullivan. Speaking before he thinks again

What a load of old bollocks some of you talk.

Everything he said there was directly taken from that KUMB podcast they put out the other day and I think some of you would do well to listen to it.

Sure, he says that about Benitez but then qualified it by saying something like 'Bilic was our first choice to take over when we appointed Grant but he turned us down because he said it would take something like 45 million pounds to turn us around. We didn't have that kind of money back then and he was proved right as we got relegated. Grant wasn't really to blame for our relegation, we were because we underinvested in the team'.

Then one of his kids says 'you said that you learned a lot from that experience dad, didn't you'? Sullivan then says something like 'yes, this isn't Birmingham City where you just try and keep them ticking over. This is the team we actually support and you have to fully commit financially'.

I don't think in context there's a lot to get upset about (although I would disagree about Grant not getting us relegated) but I don't think Slav will be throwing his toys around if he heard the comments IN CONTEXT'?

In any case, I'm not sure Sully would give a flying fuck what you, me or anyone else thinks about him airing his opinions.

Thames Ironworks 9:36 Fri Aug 28
Re: Sullivan. Speaking before he thinks again

He needs the publicity to plug his Krays film, same as his lad plugging on Twitter. Shameful

Lertie Button 9:33 Fri Aug 28
Re: Sullivan. Speaking before he thinks again

Definately thinking first, just old fashioned cunty ass covering.
If the current shambles continues then he is already distancing himself from Bilic,was a last minute panic selection, if things turn round then it's how fucking great am I , last minute ect.

Page 1 - Next