Six years ago this very week this club was facing the prospect of implosion, our chairmen of the time, the second richest man in Icelandic was bankrupt, the club had been past to a bank, that was also bankrupt, as a sort of debt repayment but to get their money they had to sell, as so, ridding in like white knights on their Steeds, messers Sullivan and Gold came to the clubs rescue.
I can't argue, nor will I, that the club is in a better shape than it was six years ago in those dark days but let's be honest, could it of been much worse, Well it could of, and it did get worse.
Those that inhabit the twilight world of Facebook or Twitter would of seen stream after stream of supporters declaring their thanks and undying love to the Daves, those that don't apparently are not true fans according to some and Wo betide any fan that dare sing from a different hymn sheet.
Problem I find that while I can understand those emotions, I just don't share them, and I feel inclined more often to remind everyone they have not only done good things, they have also overseen a regime that has in my eyes, totally removed any club to fan loyalty.
Time after time the club has stiffed match attending fans in different ways, season ticket holder discount was firstly tried to be avoided, then they finally admitted it, but offered an alternative way but then Gold virtually accused all those taking the 20% of impacting on that seasons transfer budget. Classy that, then Disabled ticket holders were given a 100% price rise, but when this broke they thankfully back tracked to just a 50% price rise. Clever really, because if they did the 50% first imagine the outcry would of been just as loud, but they made it look like they were listening by back tracking. When they had their partnership with Viagogo, the club regularly disposed of unsold tickets at cheaper than face value prices, a good thing you may think, but not when the undercut those that had bought in advance or again the season ticket holders.
The OS CONsultation, The badge change that was pushed through in a close season and done without a real majority of fans backing, but they wanted it, so they manipulated it.
They way they sacked Zola after constant undermining him, appointment of Avram Grant, a manager so so poor that it meant Sam Allardyce, a manager whose culture was so alien to this club was welcomed as a new Hero by some.
They love a buzzword, or strap sentence "Moore than a football club" is one, another the club have is is Affordable football for all, Yet ticket prices have steadily risen through the seasons they have been here to the point that tickets for today's visitors, Man City, are face value a fiver short of £100. Still at least no need to advertise to "come see city's superstars" for this game nor I bet will any tickets be given to community groups for a fiver as they did a couple of years ago, when unable to sell them at the £55 price many others paid that night.
Then we fast forward to the OS migration policy that totally ignored a fans service except it was done on who payed the most money in season 2015-16,not who had been attending for the longest time.
How is that loyalty to fans, not just any fans but those that for the past how ever many years have kept coming, kept paying.
I'll tell you who I thank for saving this club, the fans that stood bye West Ham during the 17 years they were funding another club.
I will though say that David Sullivan has probably assembled the best premier league squad we've ever had and it seems that our success will continue into the new franchise next season, Payet is a joy to watch, Lanzini will be a big Star are just two of the whole squad that have put the pride back into the club. On the pitch, which is the main reason we are here the club is finally on the up and I have faith in him that it will continue. Just seems a shame that West Ham as we once loved it has been buried on the way.
It seems to be a bad time to be a musician in your late 60's as there dropping like 9 pins this year, but none more so than David Bowie. I know he's not a West Ham fan but I'm sure Many of you out there liked or even loved his music. Personally I liked his stuff in the very early 80s as I grew up, but then from my late teens, mainly from some of the clubs I was frequenting like the Marquee club on the Charing Cross Road I grew to love his early output, suffragette city, man who sold the world, changes, Ziggy Stardust, but my personal favourite was Life on Mars, and in keeping with my strange habit of rewriting songs I thought I'd have a crack at that song, though rather than look at the Hammers I thought better to look at our Friends from the North (London).
So with Life on Mars tune in your head, I hope you can all sing along to0. Hear Bowies here
It's a god-awful cross to bare
With fans in constant despair
Their family are telling them "No"
And their wives have told them to go
All their friends are nowhere to be seen
As they go to watch their broken team
takes the seat with the clearest view
But they watch on a giant screen
And the game is a saddening bore
For they've lived it ten times or more
As they sit in their seats so still
And they attempt to focus on
See Spurs losing to the West Ham
Oh man!
Look at those stupid men go
Their the freakiest show
Listen to the Spurs Fans ringing up the radio show
Winging!
Wonder if they'll ever know
Their support is a joke
Is there life at SPURS
Their history is but a dream
Should be Mickey Mouse on the ball
Now the fans are crying again
'Cause bale won't come back to them
Like mice in their lily-white shirts
From Edmonton to the Norfolk Broads
The Y word is out of bounds
As they act like a bunch of clowns
But the club is a saddening bore
'Cause we've seen it ten times or more
It's about to be heard again
As all we can focus on
See Spurs losing to the West Ham
Oh man!
Look at those stupid men go
Their the freakiest show
Listen to the Spurs Fans ringing up the radio show
Winging!
Wonder if they'll ever know
Their Club is a joke
Is there life at SPURS
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