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geoffpikey 8:07 Fri Feb 7
David Gold : headline interview on BBC football homepage

Long. Probably deserves its own thread, even if same old... Fill your boots.

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Threats and violent protests 'cannot be tolerated', says West Ham co-chairman David Gold
By Simon Stone

BBC Sport

Threats and violent fan protests against football executives "cannot be tolerated", says West Ham co-chairman David Gold.

It comes after the home of Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward was attacked by a group chanting that he was "going to die".

Gold has previously been targeted by fan protests.

"I know exactly what Ed's experienced. I've experienced it four or five times myself," he said.

"What you've got to understand is that it is by a minute percentage, a couple of hundred people."

Gold added: "In my mind you've got a couple of hundred belligerents who want to, metaphorically, burn your house down. And those 200 will gather people who are listening, or walking by and wonder what it is all about."

On Thursday it was announced that fans who behave in an "unacceptable" manner towards players, supporters, club employees or referees will face a Premier League-wide ban.

The Premier League said anyone banned by a single club will be banned by all 20 clubs.

"The league will come together as a unit to protect the likes of Ed and punish those perpetrators. It cannot be tolerated," said Gold.

"Manchester United are a big club, Ed Woodward is a big figure in the game. He cannot be worried about his wife and children."

During the disturbances at West Ham's game against Burnley at the London Stadium in March 2018, for which the club was fined £100,000, Gold said his 10-year-old granddaughter asked him whether he was a liar.

He said: "The Burnley game was dreadful. My 10-year-old granddaughter said: 'Grandpa, what do they mean? You're not a liar, are you grandpa?' I mean, what do you say to a 10-year-old?"

West Ham are bracing themselves for more fan protests in coming games.

There is an atmosphere of mistrust between many fans and the board, particularly Gold, Sullivan and vice-chair Baroness Karren Brady, who they accuse of betraying promises made when the club moved into the London Stadium in 2016.

With the club now in the relegation zone before Sunday's trip to Manchester City - the start of a tough run of fixtures that includes visits to Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham, plus home games against Wolves and Chelsea - the Hammers' top-flight future under new boss David Moyes is precarious.

"The story is that we are liars. That we have taken all the money. That is wrong," said Gold.

"We are not liars. We have made mistakes. David Sullivan is not a bad person. He wants the club to be successful. Karren Brady works her socks off for the football club. And then you read these terrible things."

Gold says criticism of West Ham's controversial move from Upton Park is misplaced, that the reason behind it - to move the club forward - remains the goal and that owning the club was "a dream come true".

"Do I look like I'm in it for profit?" he said. "I'm the kid who grew up in a life of poverty and used to bunk into West Ham.

"I have not received a penny in salary or expenses from West Ham in 10 years. I know of owners or chief executives that are earning £3m a year.

"All my young life, the club was in the old Second Division. We are in the Premier League now. OK, we've got a few problems but overall we're moving upwards. There have been a few difficulties with the stadium but the one we have now holds 60,000.

"I spoke to a cab driver on Wednesday who spent half an hour saying how he was thrilled with the stadium and how his kids love it. But is he on the television? Is he in the paper? No. All that's in the paper is the guy that wants to kill me or burn my house down. That's the problem."

Alfs 12:55 Sun Feb 9
Re: David Gold : headline interview on BBC football homepage

That's the problem with megalomania along with overloaded arrogance. You are blinded to the fact that your actions are destructive, instead, believing them to be constructive.

WHU(Exeter) 12:35 Sun Feb 9
Re: David Gold : headline interview on BBC football homepage

Sullivan is Cardiff City, Brady is Arsenal

Gold is meant to be West Ham

He is the worst of the trio for me without doubt

Peckham 12:32 Sun Feb 9
Re: David Gold : headline interview on BBC football homepage

"All my young life, the club was in the old Second Division. We are in the Premier League now",

Without checking apart from a period in the 1940s/1950s
West Ham United has spent longer in the highest tiers of Football.

60,000 capacity club, 20,000 people at a guess alienated fans, Brady rolling out a club shop with record number of tills and biggest wrap round screen, ignoring true fans.

Pure cash cow.

Different next level of cunts compared to the Icelandics ( fucking recession ) and Brown, Cearns.

I tolerated and thought Gold was the best of the shitty trio, but no he is as bad if not worse.

GreenStreetPlayer 4:43 Sat Feb 8
Re: David Gold : headline interview on BBC football homepage

Despite all they say, they are definitely NOT West Ham.
Just people who turn up in the director's box seeing how their business is going.
They probably don't even see players, just sacks with £ signs on running around. Just about every thing has a value to them. That's why our infrastructure is as poor as it is, if its non profit making they are not interested and get rid of it.
Even leaving the Boleyn was done on the cheap.

chim chim cha boo 4:25 Sat Feb 8
Re: David Gold : headline interview on BBC football homepage

"I have not received a penny in salary or expenses from West Ham in 10 years. I know of owners or chief executives that are earning £3m a year.

Not read any of the replies on this thread (why would I, you're all absolute cunts) but 5% on the debt and 7% when they could get away with it?

I hope they all die horribly. In fact, I hope they all die because they run their helicopter firm like they run their football club.

Oi wot u looking at? 3:46 Sat Feb 8
Re: David Gold : headline interview on BBC football homepage

Didnt know Moose drove a cab in his spare time

13 Brentford Rd 3:38 Sat Feb 8
Re: David Gold : headline interview on BBC football homepage

What relevance does West Ham being a second division side for 19 years before promotion in 1958 to us moving to the Olympic stadium have?

ChesterRd 10:44 Fri Feb 7
Re: David Gold : headline interview on BBC football homepage

Any violence at the next protest will hand it on a plate to the owners. I am expecting some of Sullivan's mates to try and stir things up on the day and we must keep our heads about us.

How Hammers Utd /WHUISA and all the other fans groups are playing it is 100% spot on. We have had a shed load more pro fan publicity and derision and scrutiny of the owners in mainstream media than there ever was on the day of the Burnley game when WH fans got coated.

Hammer United they are not wrong when we can see with our own eyes and ears the support the fans are getting. The approach HU are taking is right.

The board are flailing around and scoring own goal after own goal after only a few weeks of protest. Do people seriously think they are going to cope with it for another three years?

Don't give the scum element of the press who want it to kick off so they get their juicy story win. We don't need them.

GreenStreetPlayer 7:28 Fri Feb 7
Re: David Gold : headline interview on BBC football homepage

WHUDeano 6:44 Fri Feb 7
We are worth more than that! I'd say 10 mins for the 10 years. 10 years of nothing (sure that was a title of another thread). Fuck all would be happening on the pitch anyway!
10 mins staring at the board in silence. Uncomfortable for them, if they even got it! No violence, which would go against the fans, the silence would speak volumes. Not sure if any other fans has done this before.
Like the mention of medieval times. Horsewhip and run them out of town! Even though he was a fraud, sure they would have done that to Grant given the chance the classless wankers.

Mike Oxsaw 7:20 Fri Feb 7
Re: David Gold : headline interview on BBC football homepage

Silence won't work, but loud & sustained Boos as Ten (minutes), or even Boos at Six, or even (even) both...

Far Cough 6:59 Fri Feb 7
Re: David Gold : headline interview on BBC football homepage

The away support won't be silent will they nor will the hundreds of nouveau popcorn crunching fans

WHUDeano 6:44 Fri Feb 7
Re: David Gold : headline interview on BBC football homepage

GreenStreetPlayer 4:12 Fri Feb 7

That mention of silence...now that could be an idea that would really make news.

A minutes silence for ?? (Upton Park / the death of West Ham United). Someone could smuggle in a whistle easily, time it around a symbolic minute (6 is the obvious one, but could also be 10 for the 10 years). Imagine the stadium in silence for a minute of a Prem match, especially one that is on Sky...

LeroysBoots 6:28 Fri Feb 7
Re: David Gold : headline interview on BBC football homepage

Fuck off you stupid keyboard warrior cunt

southbankbornnbred 5:38 Fri Feb 7
Re: David Gold : headline interview on BBC football homepage

ManIron,

Many thanks for the reply.

I get what you're saying, although I'm a little sceptical (but that's my default position on anything!).

One thing that is key - you won't have three years. You'll have perhaps 18 months. Because the moment they begin to negotiate with possible buyers, they won't give a hoot about any other org.

So worth adjusting your time frames accordingly.

Good luck with it, though, man. I mean that. You guys are getting off your backsides and doing something.

El Scorchio 5:36 Fri Feb 7
Re: David Gold : headline interview on BBC football homepage

southbankbornnbred 4:03

Fair play- interesting to hear it from that POV actually!

JustAFatKevinDavies 5:28 Fri Feb 7
Re: David Gold : headline interview on BBC football homepage

shut up boots you fucking wanker

LeroysBoots 5:22 Fri Feb 7
Re: David Gold : headline interview on BBC football homepage

What are the numbers here again ?

If they sell Now what is the hard cold facts of what they have to pay back ?

For example, they paid 110 million for the club was it ?

They value it upwards of 500, god knows how !, So if they sell at 500 that's 390 million profit

They have not invested any of their money without a return

What figure do they have to pay back to HM Government ?

Sir Alf 5:21 Fri Feb 7
Re: David Gold : headline interview on BBC football homepage

Agree MancIron

Relegation in that sense is a help to the cause and it lowers the valuation too. A lot of intelligently worded / cutting comment signs in the ground would be the next step IMO.

Of course, the signs would need to be sneaked past their "Thought Police" manning the entrances.

Returning to Gold's desperate deflection / minimisation effort. It's downright insulting and disrespectful to everyone fan. Insult to our intelligence more than anything else.

I have only seen one comment from any of them that I would make me feel some empathy but even that is said begrudgingly I think . Gold and Sullivan have recently both introduced the word "mistake" but like an addict trying to minimise that is the proverbial "tip of the iceberg". They need to say "we have failed the West Ham fans and feel deeply sorry for that and here is what we plan to do about it". "We will ensure constant dialogue with Hammers United from now on and try to agree a plan for the long term wellbeing of this great football club and its fans". "A strategy that is long term, that fans are onboard with". "We accept we need to bring in help for the football side of the business " etc. "If we cannot make the improvements we will look to bring in investment or new owners that help us get there".. All of the above is "cloud cuckoo land" stuff though.


But as Sniper 11:29 Fri Feb 7 said, there is a sociopath like or narcissistic behaviour at play here. All 3 of them are on one or both spectrum's. . Every other word is a lie. As someone else said, do yourself a favour and shut up because its better to "look a fool than speak and prove it" :-)

J.Riddle 5:16 Fri Feb 7
Re: David Gold : headline interview on BBC football homepage

Southbank, I have always said the same, as soon as they are free of the LLDC caveats in 2023 they will sell. Why would they stick around, they can’t take the club any further as they won’t invest any of their own money. The club has peaked in terms of asset value, the team is underperforming and any personal grief makes the decision to sell easy.

All this talk of there kids taking over is rubbish, Golds kids are not fans or interested, already have plenty of business interests, Sullivan’s kids are incapable of running a premier league club, they’ve had 26 yrs at it with nothing won and five relegations if we go down and he must know that. They’ve given it 10 years already and failed on the pitch, that will never change, like all asset strippers they have an exit strategy which is 2023.

It’s always been about the money and the money alone. Yes they already had plenty, but there is never enough for their type, it’s an ego thing to substantiate their success increasing high net worth and the money is the measure that they use to validate that.

Yes negotiations to sell would have to start earlier in possibly 18 months time, but they could already have made an agreement in principle with NDA’s, to provide first option of sale, that would be subject to being a Premier League team at time of sale, probably with zero debt.

MancIron 5:01 Fri Feb 7
Re: David Gold : headline interview on BBC football homepage

Our relegation (if it happens) will be May this year. That gives us at least 2 and a half years to change tack in terms of protest approach because as you rightly state GSB won't sell until they can maximise return in 2023.

I'm not saying we do nothing until then, increased peaceful protests particularly during TV games and any other strategies that can highlight GSB's absolute shitshow of ownership should be ramped up.

But if we do go down...then the gloves should come off bigtime.

And even if we stay up, nobody should lose sight of what we have lost (the Boleyn, atmosphere, changing fanbase) and we need ramp that up until these leeches fuck off.

OccupyGreenStreet 4:54 Fri Feb 7
Re: David Gold : headline interview on BBC football homepage

I was right in the middle of the Burnley protest beneath the Directors box. I didn’t see any coins or anything else thrown. Junior was there with me, and we had footage of the chants and them getting up and leaving. No sign of coins, lighters, anything else. Anybody seen footage of coins, projectiles ever? Plenty of cameras at LS, mobile phones - if stuff was thrown, it would have been shown on the media or social media.

They cleared out because there was a good number chanting at them, the message got through big time.

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