A frustrating draw at the London Stadium after two excellent goals by Fullkrug and Bowen
I’m celebrating my 59th birthday on 17th April, I know I look like I’m 21 still! My secret is AI so I can always look younger online than I do in real life. Seems as if AI avatars have really taken off recently with ChatGPT offering the chance for everyone to look like a packaged Barbie doll ….. surely we must ask ourselves why?
I have promised myself to complete a half marathon before I reach 60 years of age, and as I have signed up to one in September I will be looking to do another just around this time next year to really celebrate my 60th in style – I’m seeing it as a right of passage into proper adulthood! It’s never too late to grow up.
Age hits us all, often in different ways and when we look at our current squad, the players ages are surely something Potter will be looking into when he makes plans for refreshing the team before the start of the 2025/26 season. There are some players to keep and definitely quite a few players that will need to be given their P45s.
We lack pace across the team and it’s clear Potter is only going to be able to bring in new players by selling many from our existing squad. I have an idea about who I would let go and keep, and I highlight some of the keepers below. But, the big question is do we trust Potter to manage this transition of the team? Yes, I do. And I feel that this time we will get it right as I believe Potter is a great fit for our club and the right manager to take us forward.
I had mixed feelings about the Bournemouth match, the previous home game against Newcastle Utd was quite disappointing, not just the result but the performance of the team on the pitch. We lacked desire and were lucky not to have lost by more. After our excellent performance and away win against Arsenal, I really hoped we had started to click more as a team and we would get some decent results to finish off our season. But, things don’t happen that way for the Hammers, unless you’re playing FIFA 25! This is turning into a working pre season for Potter as he gives players across the squad a chance to stake their claim for first team place next season.
The sun was out as me and my second eldest boy walked to the stadium, it was feeling like Spring and we both felt we could get something out of this match. I tried to edit this photo in black and white but it didn’t look the same. The clear blue sky showing the moon above the stadium as we made our way along the Greenway looked better than in monochrome.
We walked around the stadium before going through the security check point. I am usually quite good at chatting to the staff there so that they do not pay too much attention to my battered camera bag, but this time the person who checked my bag asked for their colleague to come and check to see if I was carrying a professional camera. In the end, they just told me not to get the camera out whilst in the stadium. And I incredulously replied ‘Of course I won’t!’
The crowds were gathering in the warm Spring sunshine, which gives a challenge to us photographers as often three is high contrast between subjects in and out of the shadows caused by the bright sunlight and this can be quite noticeable, so I had a lot of editing to do to bring up those shadow areas.
‘Our seats are this way!’ I’m scanning around as we meander between the fans for anything that catches my eye. It’s often accidental and sometimes fortunate to be in the right pace at the right time, but this felt like a great shot of a fan directing his friends towards the right turnstile for their seats as he marched ahead of them.
These two Irish fans said ‘You’ll not get better shot than this today’ as they both posed for me. I was lucky to be the right distance away from them both to get this great photo with my nifty 50mm. I hope they both enjoyed the match. They were certainly in good spirits before the game.
I kind of followed this guy along as he walked and as he was so into his phone he didn’t notice me as I tried to get a decent shot of him against one of the logos on the outside wall of the stadium. There were often other fans walking beside him but I finally managed to get this shot before making my way to our turnstile.
Inside the stadium I’m trying to find a way of capturing the atmosphere with the nifty 50mm, it has its advantages with a wide aperture for the low light, but without being able to zoom in a out, I often find shots harder to get right. I was caught by this guy sitting and looking off into the short distance as we ordered our coffee. Wonder what he was thinking to himself?
We finally arrive at our seats and I’m scanning around and firing away with the camera, I’ve now swapped my nifty 50mm lens for the Canon EFS 18-135mm lens that I will use throughout the match. What I lose without a proper zoom lens in terms of zooming into the action, especially at the other end of the pitch, I gain in terms of getting closer shots such as crowds celebrating a goal with this lens. I can also fire off a few shots without having to look through the viewfinder – you just cannot do that with the nifty 50mm.
The crowds chant and sing as the teams walk out onto the pitch and I try to get a decent shot of the fans with their hands thrown up in the air and people’s faces as they sing. Scanning the crowd I capture this wonderful young fan sitting on her father’s shoulders. The way her hair catching the light along with the depth of field makes this a great shot I think.
The team huddle together before the start of the match with the expectation within the crowd rising before the teams gather into their positions to await the refs whistle.
Todibo and Wan Bissaka are two of my keepers for next season. I have been impressed with them both as they have settled into their roles within the team. This is due to them both getting some decent game time and I feel they can both secure their first team places for next season.
After what was a very frustrating first have where we struggled to a foot hold in the match, Areola spills a shot from Antoine Semenyo which is then put into the net by Evanilson and we find ourselves 0-1 down just before half time. It had been coming and there were plenty of warning signs but this kind of error is so frustrating to see. We shoot ourselves in the foot too often. The position of goal keeper is one that Potter is clearly going to look at for next season.
VAR does it’s thing on a possible offside but we know its not going to be over turned and once confirmed the away fans continue their celebrations.
I try to capture the moon in the sky over the stadium. It’s something that is possible this time of year as the days lengthen and the moon appears faintly on its trajectory against a clear sky. I have been capturing the moon in its different phases throughout the beginning of April due to the clear evening night skies we have been having. I’m fascinated by our lunar neighbour. I think this actually works quite well in black and white.
Half time passes with me catching up with my brother about life, the universe and everything whilst dissecting the first half performance. We need to be better in the second half, we both agree, otherwise this game is going to run away from us.
The second half begins and we have a lot more about us this half as Potter rings the changes with Scarles, Alvarez and Soucek making way for Emerson, Soler and Fullkrug who made an almost immediate impact after he came on.
Fullkrug turned the game on its head as he jumps above everyone to head home a perfect Ward Prowse cross. Yes! Game on and the crowd go wild with celebration. We could actually do this. I did have us down as winning 2-1 for this match, but then I usually do put that down for our score, regardless of who we are playing.
Then a few minutes later, Kudus crosses from the left for Bowen to head into the net and put us 2-1! With only 11 minutes to go, could we hold on for a well needed win?
The answer is no and we are left to rule the chances that could have changed the outcome of the match. A lack of composure in front of goal, a shot instead of a pass, a stumble in the area and another weak effort on goal gathered by Bournemouth keeper Kepa. We just couldn’t finish off the game as Brazilian Evanilson equalises and the visitors pressed for a winner.
Lots of head in hands moments as the game finishes 2-2.
Some of the players stay and others return onto the pitch to clap the fans as everyone starts to make their way out of the stadium for the journey home feeling that this was a match we definitely could, and should, have won. Two points dropped rather than 1 point gained it feels.
I’m standing by my seat and waiting for the players to leave the pitch, catch this couple taking a selfie after the game and I’m feeling deflated. We need to do better in these kinds of games and find a way to hold on until the final whistle.
Yes, I’m sure this fan is wondering why on earth we couldn’t just see out the game to secure all three points. This is surely how many of us felt at the end of a another frustrating home display.
Outside the stadium I wander around enjoying the afternoon sunshine and try to capture some interesting shots of the fans milling around the ground before they head off home. Great shot of this young fan and his brother.
And this young fella who seems to be hiding away and engrossed in his phone.
And of course the joy of seeing young fans playing kick about on the concourse in front of the ground. This lifts the spirits and I love this shot of the young fan who seems to know he has managed a sweet kick on the high flying ball.
Fans enjoy a drink and a chat before heading away from the match and I managed to catch this fan looking thoughtfully at one of the murals that cover the exterior wall of the stadium itself.
I come down the stairway and always take a few final looks and shots of the stadium before turning away and found this small group of fans sitting at the bottom of the stairs on their phones. Probably catching up with the scores from the other matches, wondering where we are in the table and who has climbed above us.
‘Please, can I have a shirt’ I always admire the small group of dedicated fans who wait outside the stadium car park for players to come out and hopefully stop for a photo or to sign a shirt. This young fan is hopeful for a shirt from one of the players. I’m impressed when chatting to those waiting that they know so much about each player and who stops and engages with the fans and who doesn’t. I wasn’t able to stay this time to get any shots of players as they exited the ground, but will try do so for the final home games.
Hope everyone is safe and well and apologies for the late post and not posting the photos from the defeat against Newcastle. I did attend the match and edit photos, but maybe I’ll save some of the shots for my end of season review series.
PS – for those who remember me talking about employing a co-ordinator for our community project encouraging adults with learning disabilities to use the leisure centres in our borough as a way of improving their health and wellbeing. Well, we employed someone and they are an excellent fit for the role and our project and have been doing some amazing work to help make the project a success. It is such a relief to get through the recruitment process with an excellent candidate who really gets the work we do. They are so passionate about the project and that’s wonderful. We are hoping to change how leisure centres in our borough support adults with learning disabilities to use their facilities.
Take care everyone!
Dawud
From the Stands 