Fans boycott Betway Cup in protest at ticket price rises
Hi everyone, hope you are all safe and well.
I totally missed the memo on this and had bought my tickets for me and the boys as soon as they came out as I believed we would miss both of the first two home games due to holidaying in Scotland throughout the second half of August.
As it happens, we will be able to make both matches and in the end one of my boys was still quite unwell with a nasty cough he has had all week, so it was just myself and my second eldest who made it to the game.
On the day of the match I was reading some comments on social media and then discovered the story of the fans boycott and of the support from ex-players such as David Cross, who joins Tony Cottee and Frank McAvennie in condemning the club’s policy of above inflation ticket price rises and changes to concessionary rates, which is an attack on both long standing fans of the club and many ordinary families who will be priced out of attending football matches.
These changes threaten to create an even greater rift between fans and the club, and their claim that this is the only way for the club to compete with other Premier League teams do not wash when you do the math. I have signed the petition and now donated my ticket price and the cost of a programme – which I don’t buy anyway – towards Irons Supporting Foodbanks and have now put myself in the loop to keep updated on the latest developments.
That said, and hopefully I may be forgiven for my previous ignorance, I attended the match and saw the team clinch the Betway Cup via a penalty shoot out after a 2-2 draw in normal time.
The walk to the stadium takes just a few minutes as we are lucky to live close by. And the Olympic Park is a beautiful legacy from the 2012 Olympic Games that makes you feel outside of the city.
You could tell the attendance was going to be very low for the match, with very few fans mingling around the stadium before kick off, and only some food stalls open with the usual atmosphere lacking. Inside the stadium there were lots of families with younger children, and I guess this was probably a good game to bring the family to, especially as an introduction to watching the Hammers.
But there were lots of empty seats in the lower tiers and no one, apart from a handful of visiting RC Celta de Vigo fans in the upper tiers. They out sang us throughout the match.
I was curious to see some of our new signings and hoped everyone who had put pen to paper to commit themselves to the club before this match would play some part in the game, even as a late substitute.
For much of the game it played out like a friendly, in the first half we had goals from Bowen and Paqueta, with Mihailo pulling one back before half time. During each half the game paused for a water break that gave the teams and the managers a chance to regroup and adjust the game plan whilst taking a break.
Bowen’s goal was a peach and shows how lively and alert he can be. He controlled Paqueta’s cross perfectly to bring the ball down to his right foot and slot home from close range.
Paqueta took advantage of some great interplay with Bowen and Antonio and showed some individual brilliance to lob the keeper to restore the lead.
Out of the first half team, Bowen (now team captain), Kudus and Coufal stood out for me. Bowen was lively, Kudus determined and strong and causing the defence all sorts of problems, and Coufal solid down the right trying to snuff out any threats. Killman seemed solid in defence but Aguerd looked out of his depth.
There was no half time entertainment or quiz, and once the game restarted it was clear Celta de Vigo players were taking it up a level in terms of going heavier on the tackles. If this hadn’t been a friendly I’m sure the ref would have issued quite a number of yellow cards as the match progressed.
In the second half Fabianski made some outstanding saves and we didn’t really get a good enough look at our other new signings who came on. Was hoping for Fullkrug to score, but that was a big ask. It was great to see Earthy back on the pitch and was hoping for a flash of his excellent movement and positioning for his first senior goal against the Hatters last season, but not to be this time.
Apart from the Pablo Duran equaliser, the second half was pretty drab and it became inevitable the match would end 2-2 and be decided by a penalty shoot out. With virtually the entire visiting team substituted and most of our side changed, it’s no surprise the game didn’t really get going.
I was asked by a fan sitting next to me ‘During the Premier League games, are the upper levels open as well?’ I feel that for many people, this was their first game at London Stadium and there was very little, if any atmosphere apart from a few chants from a sparse crowd. I did not recognise anyone around me during the match and the usual voices and characters that help make the atmosphere were absent, probably in solidarity against the hike in ticket prices.
Overall, I think there is still work to do with the team, especially considering the new signings not having had enough pre-season play time for them all to settle in and for Julen Lopetegui to establish his style of play, especially with the recent signings. Not sure how much of that will be achieved before our season opener against Aston Villa on Saturday. It felt pretty much like last season, lots of sideways, backwards balls and slowly playing out from the back putting ourselves under pressure. Not enough forward movement for me, although Kudus and Bowen were both actively making runs and looking for forward balls, and players turning inside instead of playing the ball out wide. I didn’t really see anything to get me excited about the coming season, but then it was just another friendly and the priority was surely for every player to get their match fitness up and avoid any injuries.
I’m going to mix it up this season as I have finally found one of my film cameras – a Nikon F100 ( with all the moving we did over the past couple of years it was hidden in a box and the batteries had leaked, so I also got it repaired) – and I will be shooting film for some of the matches, giving myself just 72 exposures to capture the match! As I’m going away the day after the Villa game, I’m planning to use it then, so I can send the film away and get a digital download I can then upload here during my time away. Unless the film doesn’t load properly and it comes back blank!
Take care everyone and looking forward to capturing the new season ahead and sharing it with you wonderful people.
Well, after an eventful summer of sport, the Premier League is about to restart and I for one am counting down the days until we play Aston Villa at the London Stadium on Saturday 17th August.
It is quite exciting as well for me because it is the first time for a while I have managed to attend the first home game of the season as we usually go away on our summer holidays. But this year, the first two home games dove tail our holiday in Scotland so I cane make both the Villa match and our next home game against Premier League Champions Man City.
Added to that, we have the Betway Cup – our final friendly game against RC Celta de Vigo where we will hopefully get the chance to see many of the new signings we have made over the summer transfer window.
And to wet the appetite lets look back at the final game of the 2023-24 season that saw us run home 3-1 winners against a struggling Luton Town, who actually took the lead on 6mins through Albert Sambi Lokonga’s goal.
The sun was shining and the atmosphere was celebratory as finally the future of David Moyes had finally been decided after months of will he/ won’t he be asked to leave at the end of the season. The way the club mishandled this whole affair just confirms to many of us fans how badly the club is run at times. The ongoing situation throughout the season was creating so much uncertainty, both in and around the club and conspiracy theories were abound as to whether Moyes would be given another contract or not.
For my own pennies worth, I said after we had won the Europa Conference League in 2023 against Fiorentina in Prague that Moyes should have been told to leave. It would have been a very fitting end to his time at West Ham having taken us to our first silverware since the 1980 FA Cup victory over Arsenal from a Trevor Brooking header. Considering the mess we were in when Moyes returned for a second stint as manager, it would have been a great send off.
There were signs that all was not good at the club and our increasingly poor results record had been developing since Dec 2022. The style of football we were watching and the poor performances home and away in the Premier League, as well as our awful record in the domestic Cups were not covered over by our outstanding progress in the ECL.
Some of the best football I have seen West Ham play were in those Thursday night home matches in the ECL with 4-0 victory over AEK Larnaca, 4-1 against Gent and of course the 2-1 semi final win against AZ Alkmaar to take us to the final against Fiorentina in Prague.
Big losses against Liverpool, Fulham, Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Arsenal showed us that Moyes had lost the team and despite a few encouraging performances in between, there needed to be a big decision made and it finally was after much speculation. I really felt for Moyes, whom I believe had always done what he thought was best for the club and gave us so many wonderful memories. But his time was up log before he was given the news and it’s such a shame to see how the club treated him in those final months.
But we move on, and with Julen Lopetegui now installed as West Ham Utd manager, we have done some amazing business in the transfer market, with the help of Tim Steidten, to secure the signatures of Crysencio Summerville, Nicolas Fullkrug, Guido Rodriguez, Maximilian Kilman and Luis Guilherme with more to come before the transfer window closes at the end of August.
Exciting times to be a Hammer me thinks and hopefully we hit the ground running with a win against RC Celta de Vigo and then start the new season with a victory over fellow claret and blue Aston Villa.
With the summer sun finally clearing the skies the stadium comes in to view through the trees on my way to the match, and I soak up the crowd scanning around for some interesting shots.
The bubbles were out as the crowd mingled around on the concourse enjoying a pre match drink as everyone settled into the atmosphere and young fans played out their football amongst us all.
After my usual walk around the stadium I make my way to the turnstiles and then into the ground itself.
It’s only when I walk up the steps and finally see the bowl curving around the pitch as the teams warm up in front of us that I start to feel the excitement. I felt we were in for a treat today as the tension of whether Moyes was going or not had been removed and the team owed us a performance and the visitors were almost certain for the drop.
I scan around the stands for anything interesting to capture and find these guys looking over the stands with their flag unfurled stating their claim to be proper Eastenders.
The iconic boxer Frank Bruno is interviewed as the stands begin to fill with expectant fans hoping to be sent home with a victory to celebrate.
The music plays out around the stands as the players of both teams walk out onto the pitch and line up in front of the main stand. The crowd sing and chant with arms held high as bubbles appear and float high above our heads building to a crescendo as the match starts.
But the Hatters threatened to spoil the party and by the 6th minute found themselves ahead and the match pretty much played out until half time without any real threat from the Hammers.
Coufal, one of my favourite players who always gives 110% per match, works hard down the right to snuff out as much of the Hatters threat and to win the ball before arching passes up field. I find him to be quite photogenic as a player as he is always so animated in his play. Some lack of focus in the second shot here.
Young fans in the stands catch my wandering lens as I search for interesting shots whilst the play on the pitch winds slowly down towards half time. Young fans are the future of our club and it’s great to see their passion for the game.
The first half ends and it looks as if this is going to be a difficult day for the Hammers, but this is what we have come to expect throughout the season.
The half time quiz with selected fans offers a brief respite from the match and I must admit to having a go at the questions myself. I definitely wouldn’t do well in this, especially with the quick fire questions at the end. I try to get some depth of field in my shots instead of just capturing the screen. Here the young fan is on his seat and provides some additional interest to this shot.
Gary is someone I know through work and is a West Ham Utd season ticket holder as well. He loves his football and I couldn’t resist taking a shot of him enjoying the match. He will always call out to me when he arrives at his seat.
Lucas Paqueta, so disappointing throughout the season, challenges Luton Town’s Belgian goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski to the ball. The issues that surround Lucas has surely had an impact on his performances on the pitch. He was probably the most disappointing player of the season because he clearly has the potential to be one of our most important players but has often gone missing in key games.
Moyes half’s time team talk clearly had an impact as the team came out playing football and on 54th minute James Ward-Prowse receives the ball from Kaminski’s deflected save from Jarrod Bowen’s cross. After a touch he drives the ball through the defence and beyond the static Thomas to level the match.
This is the part of recording the match day experience that I enjoy the most, capturing the reaction of the crowd and the passion screaming out as the ball hits the back of the net. I twist the lens back in and scan around me firing off the shutter in the hope to get decent shots.
There are often arms covering faces but that’s part of the experience I am trying to capture – being in the crowd and not looking in from the outside. It’s a unique viewpoint and a challenge to capture that passion and celebration.
I continue to scan around and once the players have finished celebrating Ward-Prowse appears on the big screen whilst the game resets.
The crowd continue to celebrate as the match restarts and it wasn’t long before we go ahead from a Tomas Soucek’s brilliantly taken first time volley on 65mins.
Although I’m always looking through the lens and getting better at judging when the action is about to get more exciting, the camera throws a curve ball like here as it focuses on the ball as I keep firing away and track the ball going into the net. The players are blurred and the ball is in focus – which kind of adds to the shots I feel, well once you notice that the ball is what is focused!
The crowd react again as I capture some shots of arms up in the air in celebration whilst focusing on the players on the pitch and then swing around pressing the shutter towards the fans behind me in the stands. It is really hit and miss and I have to rely on the camera to help me out here.
Then I swing back around towards the pitch to try and capture the team as they celebrate Soucek’s goal and then his image appearing on the large screen. As the team gather I think of how the image could be more interesting, so I’m moving around to try and capture some depth of field with fans taking photos and celebrating.
Mohammed Kudus could have added a third when he was unmarked in the area but his shot hit the post as the Hammers were dominating the second half whilst the Hatters faded the longer the match went on.
I love capturing the different emotions and reactions of the crowd, and after Kudus missed shot this is a great capture of a fan holding his head whilst Mohammed lays flat out on the pitch after missing his shot.
One of the biggest criticisms of Moyes was his stubborn refusal to utilise the youth throughout his time as West Ham manager, and ironically it was youth that sealed his final home win at the London Stadium. George’s previous appearance was against Fulham that lasted only 6mins as he was stretchered off after a collision with Alvarez.
The incredibly talented George Earthy comes on for Antonio on 75th minute and immediately makes an impact by turning Kudus’ cross into the net the seal a 3-1 victory for the Hammers. His positional awareness and energy out manoeuvres the Hatters defence and the crowd go wild in celebration.
I manage to capture the crowd in celebration as the young George runs off to the right of the goal arms up in the air as the visitors are visibly shaken in their realisation of defeat that will end their top flight status.
George Earthy’s image appears on the big screen and is surely a moment he will remember in many years to come, especially after the way his debut ended just a few weeks earlier.
The match ends in the Hammers favour after a second half that simply blew the visitors away, and the Luton Town players are clearly impacted by the result, especially after being 0-1 up at half time.
Capturing the crowd is a challenge I really enjoy, especially trying to bring some extra interest into the image. Here there is great depth of field and additional interest with the poster held up by fans on the big screen announcing Bowen’s On Fire as the stands roar in chants with arms held high.
It’s personal, the experience of being at the match, soaking up the atmosphere and getting pulled along with the waves of passion and voices of the fans filling the ground. Capturing those more personal moments is a joy and I love this photo of what seems to be a father and daughter together.
As is customary at the final home game of the season, many fans remain behind after the match and wait for the team to come back out onto the pitch for a final lap and for thank the fans from their support.
I love that ‘keep off the grass’ sign with the steward arms folded looking confidently towards the crowd.
It’s David Moyes final home game as manager and the crowd respond to the Thank You David Moyes on the big screen that comes up as the players and back room staff and families start to walk onto the pitch. Opinions were divided about Moyes, but he got a lot of deserved respect in this final appearance at the London Stadium.
I really wanted to capture some decent photos of Moyes and feel I managed to get a nice one of his. relaxed and then this shot of him seen through the folded arm of the fan in front of me. I kept this in colour as it worked a lot better than in black and white.
It was fitting for George Earthy to be awarded young hammer of the year, especially finally breaking into the senior squad, and for Bowen to win Hammer of the Year given that he has been such a key player for us throughout the season.
Some final shots of players with their families – Coufal here playing football with his son. I wanted to take this as I had a feeling he would be leaving over the summer. Then it’s time to leave the stands. I always find this hard to do whatever the result.
The Champions Sculpture depicting World Cup heroes Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters and Ray Wilson stands outside the London Stadium, moved from its original site opposite the Boleyn Ground in Barking Road is always a great backdrop for a few photos. A family here enjoying the early summer sun after the match.
As I walk around the ground to make my way home, I am ready to capture any final moments of fans post match, and it’s always a joy to see young fans playing football, inspired by their heroes on the pitch.
Players rarely stop these days after matches, many driven home or on to somewhere else, or they just drive away without stopping. Declan Rice always stopped though. I stand and wait for a while to see if anyone does stop and a rare appearance by Antonio catches me as he signs a programme for a young fan. It’s a bit hit and miss capturing decent shots as there are lots of fans trying to get access to the players. But I managed to edit this one enough to make it a good shot.
Take care everyone and hope you enjoyed my much delayed post from our last home game of the 2023-24 Premier League season
Dawud Marsh’s end of season review filled with highs and lows and much in-between.
Learning new things as you get older is tricky. I don’t know if my brain is going to over heat and stop working – like an old PC that has spun way to many rams in its long life, or whether I can get to squeeze in another new skill before I unexpectedly restart in the middle of an important task.
The Marsh family are serial cubers – Rubik’s and Gan cubes of every size and shape fill every spare surface in the house! 3 x 3, 4 x 4, 5 x 5, pyramid, hexagon and mirror cubes are everywhere you look. The boys are in speed mode – being able to complete a 3 x 3 in under 7 seconds! Me, I’m old school and take my time as I’m an older model that needs updating so I’m just finishing off learning to do the 4 x 4. My wife is now mastering the 5 x 5. The boys know how to do every different cube you can possibly imagine.
Can us older dudes learn new things? Well Moyes has shown another side to his managerial skills with how he set the team up for our pre-season matches in Australia where the players seem to have more freedom to show their strengths. Maybe a post Rice West Ham team will have more than just a new shirt for the coming season. If I can learn something new, then I’m sure Moyes can too.
The Forest game couldn’t have come at a better time for us as we needed a lift after the Spurs defeat. The sun was out and I was looking forward to the game. Forest’s away record wasn’t too good, but then teams always have a way of changing a poor form when they visit us at the London Stadium.
I try to get to the match as early as I can, depending on what I have to do before I leave home. Lots of shadows to enjoy and people mingling around the stadium. I quite enjoy taking photos of fans taking photos around the stadium. And of course love seeing the diversity of fan base we have. Football has a universal appeal and it’s great to see that on match days.
I so wanted us the thrash Forest at home and so we did and we had the pleasure of seeing Danny Ings first goals in Hammers’ claret and blue since his £15m signing from Aston Villa. This result pulled us out of the relegation zone and was a sure relief to see not just some goals at the London Stadium but a dominant performance by the home side.
Despite being rather subdued for much of the match, we saw what Ings can offer us upfront with two excellent goals that kick started the rout with 4 goals scored in 20 torrid minutes for Forest, who were truly awful and showed why they have only managed 3 goals in the league away from home up to this point in the season.
Forest offered little in attack whilst the lively Hammers saw Lucas Paqueta and Jarrod Bowen both hit the post with speculative shots, but it was both Rice and Antonio – without a goal since October – seal a welcome home victory to send fans home smiling.
A thrashing away to Brighton and a draw at home to Villa brought us to home to the 2nd leg of our Europa Conference League round of 16 match against Cypriot side AEK Larnaca. Cushioned by a 2-0 from the away leg, we saw a comprehensive display that sent us flying into the Europa Conference League Quarter Finals.
Walking up to the stadium is always exciting and I try to get some different views or perspectives along the way. A strong shot here using my iPhone and photo software I have on it. I can sometimes get a better shot with the phone than my camera in low light.
I have a lot of shots of this view, just as I go up the steps and then get a view of the half full stadium before the match. It’s the same as when I used to walk up the steps into the stands at Upton Park, the lights the noise and expectation of the match to come.
The game was a chance for Scamacca to prove his worth, but also for Bowen to regain some form in his bid for a place in the England squad – both provided goals in our dominant display. Scamacca, returning to the starting line up after injury, was gifted his goal and provided the assist for Bowen’s first. There was lots of talk about his mood and whether he was up for the relegation battle ahead, but images of him joking with Benrhama as he sat on the bench after being substituted seemed to show a positive boost to his confidence.
There was late drama for AEK as Gustavo Ledes was sent off just before the break after his foul on Pablo Fornals was upgraded after a VAR review to a red card. There was no coming back for the Cypriots in the second half.
Bowen’s brace in two minutes sealed the match and the result as he became Hammer’s leading goalscorer in our European games. Bowen, left out of Southgate’s squad for the European Qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine, admitted he hasn’t done enough to earn a place.
“It’s not about getting in squads, it’s about playing my ‘A’ game, finishing strongly and going again next season.
“I always want to score and goals have not been coming this season, but I accept that. I will always give my all for the club.”
And the final seal on our victory came from the young striker Divin Mubama, a local lad who has been with the club since he was 8, who scored his first goal after 3 senior appearances and showed us some of the exciting prospects we have coming through our youth squads.
Fans sent hope feeling like we have something special happening this season, despite our relegation worries, we could be on for our first European trophy since 1965 when we won the European Cup Winners Cup. Our first major trophy in 43 years? We got this.
Next up for us was our tight home win against relegation bound Southampton, that showed why the Saints are going down, with their form worse under Ruben Selles, who took over from Ralph Hasenhuttl in November. There was no fight in the Saints team and Fabianski was left with making just a few routine saves.
The battle for safety was extremely congested, and although the result lifted us to 14th in the League, there were only 4 points between ourselves and the Saints propping up the Premier table on 23 points. We had a game in hand on the teams below us, but this victory was all the more important to stay out of the bottom three as the season draw to a close.
There are always some characters around the stadium before and after the matches, and I’m always looking out for an interesting shot. The Pearly King and his Prince and the man sitting with his dog. It’s what makes it so interesting going to games, just seeing the different people who come to watch the team.
Again VAR took the stage with a lengthy delay before Nayef Aquerd’s fine header from Thilo Kehrer’s free-kick was given and was the only goal to separate the teams on the day. Injuries ravaged our defence denying us Aguerd and Zouma together at the back. But their record together has been excellent with 7 points from 3 games and 2 clean sheets. Definitely a contributory factor in our struggling form. We didn’t have many chances though and it was only deep into the second half before Saints keeper Gavin Bazunu palmed Said Benrahma’s free kick away.
There’s not much going on at half time except for the Hammer Time quiz and a chance for me to search the stands for anything interesting. You can often catch natural shots from the crowd.
Back to the match for the second half and the peaks and troughs of emotions are expressed throughout the match. These shots are great to tell a story of what is happening in the match and I often try to pair them with action shots on the pitch.
From thumping the stands to get the crowd chanting, to head in hands and arms in the arm despair at a missed chance or a poor tackle or pass. With fans silhouetted against the stadium they can be a great visual record of a match.
When we have the earlier kick offs there’s a chance to walk around the outside of the stadium to capture some natural shots of fans. Young fans chatting and plenty of people taking photos against the posters and logos around the ground.
I’ve been spending some time waiting for the players to come out from the stadium in their cars. There is a regular crowd of fans who wait to see their favourite players and some are better than others at engaging with them on their way after the match. Areola will usually stop and have photos taken with those waiting, and some have filled up their autograph books with most of the team. I am impressed with how young fans in particular wait in all weathers to see some of the team drive out. I’ve promised my youngest to try and get signatures of the players as well. I’m expecting a few bruises at it can get a bit rough trying to get a photo with the players. Wish me luck on that.
Next up was the Newcastle game, with one step forward against the Saints and 5 steps back against the barcodes. I wasn’t sure about posting this and it was the first match I actually felt like leaving, we were shocking. Defensive errors cost us dearly but we were out fought and out played comprehensively. Surely this game is the worst of the season. We managed to sit 15th in the League purely on goal difference.
‘Humph. Hope, it is the quintessential human delusion, simultaneously the source of your greatest strength, and your greatest weakness.’ The Architect, played by Helmut Bakaitis tells Neo, played by Keano Reeves as they confront each other in The Matrix: Reloaded. Hope indeed we had as we approached this home match but we know how it ended.
This is my brother Ian, as we walk into the stands after grabbing a coffee in the food hall. My brother is a voice of reason when I get carried away thinking we are going to win every match we play. Love how the lights and detail in the background make this photo. These are very tricky to edit but Lightroom has some powerful tools to help.
We always check out the team warming up and have a chance to chat about our predictions for the match. As other fans start to make their way in to the stands we get to catch up with those around us and share thoughts and analysis on the games since we last saw each other.
Pre match light shows and digital screens try to set the scene for the match and can bring up some interesting shots if you keep your eyes open.
But there is nothing like the sound of the home fans chanting and singing before the game, hair raised on the back of your neck as the music plays and the bubbles float and the teams come out.
Capturing the players is a key part of recording the match and I was particularly looking for Rice being as it is his last season with us. We are going to miss seeing Rice running down the midfield with such purpose and he offers us so much to our game.
This was a very frustrating and depressing match and fans were keen to express their frustration towards the team. Capturing this raw emotion helps to give depth to the story of the match, whether is joy from a goal or despair at another missed opportunity.
Zouma managed to pull one back before half time to make it 1-2 after both Callum Wilson and Joelinton put the barcodes ahead within a torrid few minutes. I remember saying at half time ‘At least we are not being thrashed!’ How I regret saying that once the final whistle had blown.
I have noticed a lot of young fans holding up cards or posters with messages for the players, this young guy hoping get Bowen’s attention and there has been a lot of players going up to the fans after the matches to throw them their shirts.
The defeat was hard to stomach, and you could see how it impacted some of the players. I applaud those who come to thank the fans even after such a result and poor performance. It’s important to recognise those who come to see the team and stay until the bitter end.
Hope, I never gave up hope that we would survive, and never gave up dreaming we could win a trophy this season.
Part 4 will show how we finished the season on a high with the final post Part 5 celebrating reaching the Europa Conference League final in our last game at home against Leeds United and the amazing victory parade.
Dawud Marsh’s end of season review filled with highs and lows and much in-between.
My two youngest boys are finally getting into football big time. They both want me to share my knowledge of goalkeeping but they also want to play as much football as they can. We have a small sports cage near where we live with a set of goals either end and markings for a pitch. My youngest is always asking for a kick about after school and work. Keeping me young for sure, but it’s nice to be able to spend such time with the boys whilst I can. Soon they will be grown up and off doing their own thing with me reminiscing about times passed.
By the time we played Crystal Palace at home, we had already lost to Manchester United away and were set to go on a run of 7 straight Premier League defeats that were to define our season. Somehow we believed that Crystal Palace and Leicester at home would be winnable games before the International break for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar and we could look forward to Premier League restarting at the end of December.
But that was not to be. 2 defeats left us eager for the break in the hope we could regroup and get back on track. But we had already qualified for the round of 16 in the Europa Conference League after sinking FCSB away on 3rd November. With the punishing schedule of matches continuing with Palace at home on 6th, Blackburn Rovers at home in the League Cup on 9th and finally Leicester at home on 12th, we literally scrambled over the line with just the Europa Conference League keeping us in any way hopefully our season wasn’t going to completely collapse.
I try to be invisible when taking photos of the crowd before and after the games. I often hold my camera waist high and wander around, pointing and shooting as I go. But there are times when you can hold your camera up and capture people doing something that would make a great shot. The Champions statue draws many fans and is always a good opportunity for taking a nice photo.
Despite the weather the crowd were in good voice and confident of another home win.
The result against Palace was the first time we had dropped points at home since August and despite taking the lead through Benrahma’s powerful strike from outside the box to mark his 100th appearance for the Hammers, Wilfred Zaha pulled one back for the visitors against the run of play. It was the last minute of extra time where Michael Olise grabbed the points after Antonio wasted an opportunity for a good cross into the box – moments later Olise scored at the other end. If only Antonio had taken the ball to the corner or at least not given the ball away so cheaply.
I can’t get enough from the stadium itself when it comes to taking photos. Keeping my eye out for an interesting shot often results in these kinds of photos. The image here is divided in half by the stadium and the clearing sky with a plane flying overhead. The action is on the pitch but your eye draws up.
The wet weather gives unexpected opportunities at the stadium with the rain soaked pavement reflecting the scene around the ground. The sky had cleared and its brightness offered strong contrast in the shadows on the ground.
This is one of my absolute favourite shots from this season. This young fan is captured turning with the ball at her feet, you get a sense there is some of her friends beyond the shot waiting to see what she does next with the ball and herself checking behind to see what her options are. Don’t often get great shots like this and her hair and stance enhances this shot.
Next up was Blackburn Rovers in the EFL Cup where we get dumped out on penalties. Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs and Leeds all went out in this round as well but we honestly thought we could do this. I knew, like many of us, that if it went to penalties we would lose. And so it was. Ugh!
There was a great party atmosphere before the match – cup games under the lights have been a rich reward for us so far this season at the London Stadium in the Europa Conference League, so could we manage to take that good form to progress into the next round?
These shots with little light to work with are not easy, especially with my limited kit, but with a swivel touch screen I can hold the camera above my head and hope to grab some useable shots. Needed some heavy editing to get this looking right though. This guy had the crowd in the palm of his hand as he danced away before the match. There’s just enough light on him and his face to make this shot work.
The expectation of the crowd was palpable as the teams came onto the pitch for the start of the match. Both managers changed their entire starting 11 from previous matches and it has been a difficult schedule for the Hammers throughout October and into November.
Blackburn had taken the lead within 6mins through Jack Vale only for Fornals to equalise before the break. We have never won this competition and seemed set to make it through to the last 16 after Antonio’s low shot in the 78th minute gave us the lead. Hearts were broken when Ben Brereton Diaz equalised with just 2 mins of normal time to take the tie to penalties.
We had chances to win this, but it wasn’t to be and left us deflated as we went into our last home game against Leicester City before the International break.
If Carlsberg did penalty shoot outs, they would be like this with 19 penalties taken before Ogbonna missed to send the Rovers through to the next round.
My next home game was our wonderful win against Everton, with ex-Hammer Frank Lampard returning as the visitors manager with the match entitled ‘El Sackio’ given the pressure both Lampard and Moyes were under due to the run of poor results from both teams. “My understanding was the board will still support me no matter what, that takes a lot of doing and a big thank you to them,” Moyes said of the speculation surrounding his future at the club.
It was a crucial home victory, our first since the end of October after 6 defeats, a draw and being dumped out of the EFL Cup by Championship side Blackburn Rovers. We needed to get our tails away from the drop zone but this win also had the added pleasure of seeing Lampard on the losing side.
I know the stadium divides opinions but for me it is a great venue for photography. I do miss the walk down Green Street with the stalls, the vibe as you wander out of the crowded Upton Park stadium and make your way to the Boleyn. Gary Firminger selling OLAS was a highlight and I always stopped and chatted to him before entering the ground. But visually the London Stadium is quite stunning at times.
It’s a different vibe now but I think the club could do well to bring those stalls back especially to fill the wide areas around the ground. But now we get to see the young fans making use of the space for their own training sessions.
The match was also a farewell to David Gold, who passed away on 4th January, a local lad who also played football him and a life long Hammers fan. Bowen, who had not scored in 12 games bagged himself a brace to sink the Blues, without a win in 3 months, leaving Everton 19th in the table but only 3 points behind the Hammers in 15th.
Love trying to capture fans elation when we score and it gets a bit tricky to watch the match and the crowd and try and find a shot that will tell the story.
Rice managed to miss a glorious opportunity to score himself but just failed to hit the target after an excellent run seeing his shot roll just shy of the goal.
A full stadium happy to be back to winning ways this last picture of the young fan isolated against ‘fortunes always hiding’ sums up the mood perfectly.
Two hard earned draws followed that left us desperately close to the drop zone and it was for Emerson to score against his former club, assisted by Bowen that earned us a point at home to Chelsea. Another manager under pressure, Graham Potter fielded a new look £200m front line, but could not manage a win continuing a bad run of results for Chelsea.
With two Chelsea goals ruled off side and an excellent save from Fabianski, this was surely a hard won point for the Hammers but felt like a win.
Memories of David Gold remained with flowers around the Champions Statue drawing fans to read the notes and messages left there.
Chelsea had two disallowed goals early in the game, and Kai Havertz thought he had extended their lead only to have his goal cancelled for another off side. VAR it seems was working its magic for us in this match but not sure how these decisions balance out across the season. It does often seem as if players cannot celebrate their goals until they know the result of VAR!
Fabianski for me is still a top goal keeper with excellent shot stopping ability. This shot from Noni Madueke, taking his first start for Chelsea since his £30m arrival from PSV Eindhoven, forced this incredible save from Fabianski.
I love capturing these kinds of action shots. You need to be ready for something like this to happen, so I often have my camera close to my eye as I watch the game through the lens. Doesn’t mean I get everything though as I’ve often missed a key moment whilst focusing on something else in the match or the stands!
Emerson’s goal really had the crowd on their feet in celebration and it was nothing less than we deserved in a match where Chelsea just did not seem up for it, especially after having two goals disallowed earlier int he match.
Individual faces and raw emotions always make for a good shot and I am always looking around the crowd to see if there is something or someone who would make a great shot as part of the story of the match.
The mingle of the crowd after the match, young fans playing football with their bags and coats thrown down as goals and fans from abroad coming in the hope of meeting their favourite players add to the post match experience. I enjoy wandering around after the game with the camera ready to see if I can capture anything going on that would make a great photo. Probably why I take so many photos in the hope a few would be good to use.
Hammers fans left the game feeling hopeful, another gritty performance and what seemed like an unfair VAR decision on Soucek’s goal but we felt relieved in the final moments of the match as Soucek was judged not to have handled the ball in the area despite protests from Chelsea. Signs of a revival but fear for the seriousness of Paqueta’s injury as he had been one of the best performers for the Hammers so far this season.
End of season review filled with highs and lows and much in-between.
I would like to do something different this season with my review, and hope you enjoy my reflections along with some key moments captured with my camera throughout the campaign. Apologies for posting later during the summer as well. But hopefully you will enjoy my posts of our 2022-23 season.
Supporting West Ham has to be up there on the list of life’s great stressors. Along with births, deaths, moving house and getting a hair cut. Honestly you would not have imagined such a topsy turvy season that would see many of us at our wits end, pulling our hair out (so needing a hair cut) trying to understand why we struggled for long periods last season, balanced by the sheer elation of winning a major trophy for the first time in 43 years!
Did our historic victory in Prague on 7th June make up for all the lows of the season? For me, hell yeah! But looking back at the season that has ended it made me realise there have been some wonderful moments, some that may have passed us by in the elation of the final throws of a season that shows we really are massive wherever we go.
Looking through the photos of the season I realised how many games I actually missed this campaign. Life got in the way and I had to follow some of our games online, plus I didn’t manage to get back to the stadium for new season until the start of the group stages of the Europa Conference League against FCSB. And what a match after a torrid start to the season with just the 1-1 draw against Spurs in the Premier League providing a sliver of light. The lack of pre match pyrotechnics, the rain and of course the news of the passing of Her Majesty the Queen that day created a strange atmosphere but the performance on the pitch turned that around.
I always get a shiver of excitement walking to the London Stadium for a match as I hear the chants and singing of the fans reverberating around the ground. Somehow and evening of football under the lights always has something more special about it.
I’m no royalist and I wasn’t sure what to expect from the home crowd, the atmosphere had been strange without the usual pre-match light show. But this felt like an end of an era. Like many I had only known Her Majesty the Queen as head of state in my lifetime, it was quite moving in many ways.
You cannot put a value on European football on Thursday nights from the season, the atmosphere is always kicking and the crowd always get behind the team as they stand throughout the whole match. Those empty seats will be filled as we progress throughout the tournament.
This is often my view though and I find myself standing on tips toes or trying to catch some shots between between people – I always ask myself ‘Why are the tallest people always in front of me?’ The answer of course is that I’m short!
Antonio’s last minute goal topped a performance that raised the roof and gave succour to our Premier League struggles. Antonio frustrates in equal measure to the joy he gives us when he scores. His powerful run and chip over the FCSB keeper was the icing on the cake for a perfect start on the road to the ECL final in Prague. If only we had more of this from Antonio rather than the dead ends he often find himself in after a powerful run.
October was a great month for us in the Premier League and ECL with 6 wins, 1 draw and 2 defeats and made us believe our season had definitely started at last. Scamacca and Bowen both scored to sink Wolves at the London Stadium and kick start our mini revival where even in defeat to Liverpool we believed our fortunes in the Premier League would start to turn around given our performances in Europe.
I know the London Stadium divides opinions but as a photographer it offers some wonderful views and compositions and these shots can be quite dramatic, especially if the sky provides a stunning backdrop.
Scamacca’s excellent goal against Wolves had us dreaming of what the season could hold for us with him up front. Well, maybe next season?
I love photographing the fans around me as they celebrate a goal and they’ve got used to me with my camera catching moments like these.
Games were coming thick and fast for the team and squad rotation was key to keep us in the running in the ECL but two wins against Anderlecht surely confirmed our status as favourites to go on and win the trophy.
Another Europa Conference League match under the lights at the London Stadium saw Benrahma and Bowen put us two up to see out the match, despite a late penalty for the visitors. It also saw incredible scenes of flares going off in the away end that looked as if the stadium was on fire. The away fans also threw flares over to the home crowd and the stadium was filled with smoke for large parts of the game.
Dramatic scenes that I’ve never seen before and I was worried someone would get hurt or the match would be stopped. I am always anxious about bringing my camera into the stadium – how do these people get flares into the ground?
Benrahma’s excellent freekick gave us the lead in a tense match that followed our 1-0 away victory against the visitors and left us sitting top of our group on 12 points with just two matches to play. As the smoke dispersed cleared fans filed out of the stadium dreaming of the knockout stages to come.
Our 7th match in October saw us run 2-0 victors against visiting Bournemouth, and despite the rain, fans spirits could not be dampened as the victory lifted the Hammers to 10th in the league. It seems that we do well in the evening kick offs, especially if its raining!
I quite like the light shows before games. The flames and music and lights get the crowd going and ready for the match ahead. A challenge to capture with my camera that seriously doesn’t like low light photography.
Benrahma again on the scoresheet with another excellent penalty after a rare VAR decision going our way confirming that Bournemouth’s Jordan Zemura handled the ball in the area. Earlier in the match the visitors temporary boss Gary O’Neil had been upset about a decision also going our way as Zouma’s headed goal was allowed to stand after a VAR check to see if Thilo Kehrer had handled the ball in the build up. The victory lifted the Hammers to 10th in the league.
Benrahma seems to be our penalty taker now and has scored some excellent goals for us this season and has benefited from extended run in the team.
I don’t live far from the ground and its nights like this that I enjoy staying behind to see if I can capture some natural shots of fans celebrating or enjoying seeing the players walk around and clap our support.
Surely from this position we would be able to continue our progress in the build up to the international break before players jet off to the Qatar World Cup 2022 and start to climb up the table and push towards the top 6?
De Gea howler gifts the Hammers a much needed home win
Hope everyone is safe and well.
Finally caught up with all my editing of the matches from this season. Now I can focus on a season review, putting together the zine of the best photos from this year and I have been asked to collaborate on an exhibition. Looking forward to going through the photos and focusing on specific players as well. I’ll share these over the summer.
This result against Manchester United saw us go on an end of season run of form winning 5 of 7 matches, including two legged semi final of the Europa Conference League and of course our historic victory against Fiorentina in Prague for the trophy.
In the Premier League we came out of this match sitting more comfortably in 15th, seven points away from Forest in 18th with superior goal difference on all the teams below us. There was still a lot of work to do to secure our status for next season, as well as negotiating the final three games of the Europa Conference League, but this win felt like there was real hope of taking something positive from what has been a difficult campaign.
Looking back over the photos from the match we could have won this 4-0 except for missed opportunities and an offside and a foul. The six yard box scrambles entertained as much as they frustrated as we saw chance after chance slip through our fingers. To be honest, I really felt that Man Utd would sneak a draw in extra time, but we held on and to be fair the visitors didn’t really offer much in terms of a threat in front of goal.
The Reds needed to be up for this as their top four position was at risk and De Gea’s fumble of Benrahma’s soft shot on goal was a gift that we embraced willingly. You’re not going to be handed these too often from Man Utd that’s for sure, and it is what proved to be the difference between the sides at the final whistle.
Although United started brightly, once the home side score, they faded except for chances from Rashford, Erickson and Martial, who came closest to equalising in stoppage time, but Fabianski was equal to the shot and palmed it away.
For us Soucek had two chances and Antonio had one dissallowed for a foul on De Gea, who has in the past saved the Reds but today had left the chasers for 3rd and 4th place hoping to take the advantage this defeat gave them.
This match was the start of a hectic and challenging two weeks for the Hammers, but given the teams performance here it looked as if we were up for it with plenty of energy and desire to end the season on a high. The win did not mean the Hammers were technically safe, but unless there was a run of extraordinary results going against us, the win meant we could focus on the Europa Conference League and be more selective about our efforts in the Premier League.
Benrahma was awarded man of the match, but Declan Rice showed no ill effects from his illness the previous week and drove the team forward as they upped the pressure on the visitors to get another goal. At the final whistle, Moyes must have felt a certain satisfaction beating Man Utd for the first time since 2012 when he was managing Everton.
Hammers 43 year wait for silverware finally ends with historic win against Fiorentina in Europa Conference League Final in Prague
I hope everyone is safe and well and have recovered from whatever celebrations you have all been taking part in since our historic victory on Wednesday night over Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final.
So much has been said about the emotions we have all felt about the Hammers finally winning some silverware after 43 years and the highs a lows of the near misses that saw bubbles fly so high only for our dreams fade a die since our glorious FA Cup victory over Arsenal in 1980.
Instead of remembering those disappointing defeats and near misses we can now talk about where we were and how we watched Bowen run onto Paqueta’s incredible pass as he chipped Terracciano and Hammers fans dared to dream, hearts skipping a beat as the ball travelled almost in slow motion into the open net.
Where were you when the ball crossed the line, when the Fortuna Arena in Prague erupted in ecstasy as voices cracked, tears flowed and suddenly everything was a blur of raw undiluted emotion?
Where were you when the final whistle blew and the party started as Fiorentina players crushed by their defeat stared through their own tears of disappointment as the West Ham players and Hammers faithful sang and danced and celebrated what can be only be described as an epic party that resolved so many years of what ifs and gut wrenching heartaches?
For those who were able, made their way to Upton Park for a victory parade we thought would never happen in most of our life times to continue the party. The perfect start to the finale of celebrations as the open top bus filed passed with the players who have fought with passion and shear physical hard work throughout the season to bring home a major trophy for adoring fans.
As the police struggled to control the passions of young and old fans alike, the tour bus turned passed The Champions sculpture at the junction of Green Street and Barking Road, covered in fans and billowing claret and blue flares from the hands of fans precariously balanced on top.
Players clearly taken by the noise, the passion and love and party desperately capture the moment with their phones as they waved at fans below and tried to soak up the celebrations.
The party continued as the buses moved slowly towards Stratford Town Hall where yet more fans waited desperately to see the players and the trophy and scream ‘West Ham Are Massive Wherever We Go!’
I was there and did my best to capture the celebrations, but needing to allow myself to give in the the mood and emotions as well. Very emotional it was too. Unforgettable memories to treasure and the dream that bubbles will again fly so high in seasons to come. We want this again, and again and again. COYI!
I hope you enjoy my photos from the victory parade. Sadly I couldn’t get close enough to capture the players on the balcony at the town hall. You either had to go to Upton Park or Town Hall for the best views and I chose Upton Park first and then rushed off the Stratford but the crowd was already covering every inch of road and pavement by the time I arrived. But either way, I hope my photos capture some of the passions, emotions and celebrations of the day.
Hammers come from behind to keep dream of first major trophy since 1980
I hope everyone is safe and well.
I’m finally catching up with all my editing from some recent matches. After this the last one to do is our wonderful win against Manchester United. The Marshes enjoyed a half term break on the Isle of Wight and I must say it felt like being somewhere in the Mediterranean with the hot weather and some of the landscape. Only previously been on a day trip, but we hired a caravan and had a few adventures throughout the week – the highlight being tree climbing! We climbed so high, nearly reaching the sky! Totally worth a go if you’re looking for something outside the usual holiday activity.
Back to the football and European matches under the lights this season has indeed been a dream come true, despite a torrid Premier League season, and results in the ECL have sent us all home daring to believe we can lift our first major trophy since 1980.
But by half time it looked as if Rejinder’s opener for AZ had our dreams of reaching the final in Prague on the 7th June fading away as the Hammers struggled to find a way to get back into the game, despite some clear opportunities for us to score.
The second half started just as frustratingly for the home side, but this did not dampen the crowd, who stood throughout the match and spurred the players on to try and turn the tie around. And what a turn around we saw.
Former Brighton goal keeper carelessly punched Jarrod Bowen in the face from a Paqueta cross into the box and as the Hammers players appealed for a penalty the ref took no time to point to the spot. Up steps Benrahma to take the resulting penalty kick, with Ryan doing his best to unsettled the Hammers’ star but was unable to stop a powerful shot into the corner.
1-1 and the crowd are in full voice and dreaming of a come back to take away in the second leg at AFAS Stadium on 18th June. The Hammers have done it before and indeed did it again in front of an ecstatic home crowd. West Ham by now were pressing hard for a winner and it came 15mins from time as Rice chips in a lovely ball, sent loose by Nayef Aguerd’s initial header that was blocked by Yukinarii Sugawara and hit home from close range by Michail Antonio. 2-1!
If there was a roof on the London Stadium, it would have surely been sent skyward as the volume of the crowd celebrating a wonderful comeback reverberated into the night. This is what European football is all about, a hard fought comeback, excellent performance from Benrahma, who frustrates at times, but his direct running unsettled the AZ defence, forcing Ryan to a finger tip save early on that could have given the hosts the lead, and his composure in front of goal for a confidently taken penalty.
We must also recognise Antonio’s late form this season and the constant threat that Bowen offers up front and add to this the ever present Rice, who even on an average day offers the team so much with his tackling, confidence in defensive duties as well as his passing and forward runs, you wonder why we have struggled all season!
But Moyes sums it up and puts the tie into perspective when he said after the match:
“I’m pleased we’ve got ourselves in front, which is a big thing. It was a difficult night. I hugely believe we’ve got a big resilience here, through the club, through the team, and we’ve needed it. We have a big job to do next week.”
We already know how that went and whatever the outcome of the final in Prague against Fiorentina on 7th June, we have had some wonderful nights under the lights this season. Let’s hope we can finish the job and finally lift a major trophy to send us back into the Europa League next season.
Rice scores on his last home match in claret and blue
Hope everyone is safe and well.
I quite enjoy the final home match of each season as there is always a party atmosphere and the weather tends to be good and I enjoy seeing the players and their families and the staff walking around the pitch after the match. But there are always mixed emotions and this season is no exception.
We have a Europa Conference League Cup Final to look forward to, a better finish in the Premier League than we thought only a few weeks ago, but we have also seen the last home game featuring our Hammer of the Year captain Declan Rice. Other players are likely to exit as well with plenty of rumours now flying about on social media of who is staying, leaving or coming.
But I was a bit disappointed that Rice didn’t say a few words as he was handed his HOTY award, it was nice to see him walk around again on his own, but I wanted something a bit more from him to be honest. I have been spending some time with those dedicated fans who wait week in and week out outside the stadium car park for players to stop and sign the team shirts they are clutching hold of, or have a photo taken with their favourite player before they speed off in their expensive sports cars.
Too often players have just driven past the regular crowd who get excited about which player may be coming out next, with some getting messages from other fans who watch from the walkway above the car park or listen to the sound of a car revving up as the players are ready to leave. I feel for the fans who wait time again only to see players drive by.
But I got an extra treat on this day as my youngest boy Ali had his photo taken with Carlton Cole … always believing! He strolled out of the car park and came up to the excited group of fans and chatted away, signed shirts and programmes and was in no hurry to leave. He is such a nice guy and he seemed genuinely pleased to spend time with the fans. I guess that is why this small group of dedicated fans wait after every home match to get a chance like that to speak to one of the players.
Me and my son were well made up and have made a pact to collect as many photos and signatures as we can next season. I’m telling that is going to be quite a challenge because once a player stops in their car you need all your wits about you and strength to get through the crowd to have a chance of getting anywhere close too them, let alone get a photo. Luckily we both do karate 😂
I had a good feeling about this match as Leeds are likely for the drop this season and even Big Sam is not going to save them from relegation. They were woeful after we equalised through an excellent goal by Rice and it was no surprise that in the second half we took the match to them and could have scored 4, but managed just 2 more through Bowen and Lanzini. So pleased for him to get on the core sheet after coming off the bench. He needs to play regular football and will have to move away from London Stadium for that.
You can see why Leeds are not going to stay up, they have nothing up front and did not look likely to get a goal once we started playing. Paqueta was clearly enjoying himself with tricks and skill to delight the crowd and show us a glimpse of how he will play next season. Bowen put in yet another solid shift and some fans around where we sit were thinking maybe he could be our captain next season.
Who knows what will happen after the last ball is kicked on 7th June, but I have a good feeling it’s going to be a much better season that this one. But I guess that depends on us lifting a trophy and how we invest the money we will get from Rice and other players leaving. We struggled in part because w have no depth in the squad, something that we will need to solve if we are to push on next season.
A shout out to Knollsy, the fan who stood his ground against the Dutch ultras trying to break into the seating area where players and staff families and friends had watched the game when we played AZ Alkmaar away in the first leg of the Europa Conference League Semi Final. He was humble and although he stood for photos and was saying it wasn’t just him defending the seating area and he was only doing what any one of us would have done in the same situation. He seems like a really nice guy.
Thank you all for your wonderful comments, support and feedback throughout this season – I have really appreciated it. I still have a couple of matches to post and will do that after a holiday with the family for half term.
Enjoy my photos from the final home match of the season and take care everyone
Hammers sweep aside KAA Gent to earn Europa Conference League Semi Final against AZ Alkmaar
Apologies again for taking so long to post the photos from this wonderful home win in the Quarter Final of the Europa League. Sadly, its been a busy time for the Marshes and I haven’t had time to settle down to my desk for the editing. I missed the Liverpool defeat as my wife was unwell and I was looking after her and the boys. I had to settle for radio commentary. After a nervy away draw in the first leg, the Hammers put on an exhilarating show in front of the home fans after going 1-0 behind to progress into a European Semi Final for the second year in a row with goals from Antonio (2), Paqueta and MOTM Rice.
It put a seal on a magnificent turn around from the 1-4 thumping suffered against Newcastle United at home on 5th April in the Premier League and showed the growing confidence in a team who earned a hard fought draw a few days before against Premier League title chasers Arsenal.
European nights have been a source of joy for fans at the London Stadium as this is now the second season we have progressed into an European Semi Final that leaves the Hammers a favourites to win in the final at the Fortuna Arena in Prague on 7th June against either Fiorentina or FC Basel.
It feels as if we are hitting some form at the tail end of a season where we are still entangled in a relegation battle, sitting only 5 points ahead of 18th placed Leicester City with 5 games left to play. And we are seeing some of our key players in Moyes weekly team set up now putting the ball in the back of the net.
After going 1-0 down on 26th minute with a well worked goal from Gent’s Hugo Cuypers that took full advantage of West Ham’s defensive errors. It was comical and almost mirror image of the defensive insecurity the Hammers suffered from at the weekend against Arsenal that left them with a 2-0 deficit within the opening 10mins. The crowd did not give up and continued to sing as the team gathered themselves up for the rest of the match that simply swept aside their opponents.
There was 11 minutes of agony as the Hammers sought to get back into the game and it came with a routine goal from Antonio from an excellent Bowen free kick. Parity restored, but this was not the end of the story for the Hammers faithful.
But it wasn’t until the second half when West Ham came back out and showed purpose and decisiveness to seal a well won victory that could give Rice the chance to join World Cup winner Bobby Moore and club legend Billy Bonds to lift a major title as captain and what we secure European football for a third season in a row.
Paqueta had the chance to atone for his earlier error that lead to Gent’s goal with a well taken penalty to take the Hammers ahead on the night and in goal difference. But the night must be remembered for a stunning Rice goal to put the game beyond the stuttering visitors. Rice picks up the ball with a typical tackle 10 yards in his own half, then drives forward looking for support. But with no one there he continues on a run towards the Gent goal and then delivers a fantastic shot beyond goalkeeper Davy Roef into the top corner.
The nights MOTM performance by Rice shows what he can offer, not just as a covering midfielder, to his team but as an England international. Rice is contracted to the Hammers until 2024, but it is clear he will be on the move this summer with Champions League in his sights and who could blame him? If we seal some silverware this season before Rice leaves, given the troubles on this season, we have to be happy with that and wish Rice all the best.
There is still lot to play for this season and although we have lost our last two games, performances have shown the team have finally found their mojo, lets hope this continues until the last kick of the season in Prague as we lift our first mayor trophy since 1980 fabulous FA Cup Final victory over Arsenal.
We can but only dream of bubbles flying high into the sky this season.
From the Stands 