One of the 6000 Who Walked Away

Hammers United

A message from West Ham Fan Jim.

Hi Tross,

Just watched your excellent latest post on the Facebook page and as me and my eldest son are 2 of the 6000 that have walked away and not renewed, I felt compelled to respond as requested.

I’m 46, I have been going since 1986 as a 12 y/o. First day of the season after the 3rd place. My dad was born and raised across the road from the Boleyn pub in Central Park Road. I’ve been going ever since. Not always every game, but 20 odd season tickets and tons of away games all over the country back before the family come along. My eldest son, 18, has been going since he was 6. He lives and breathes West Ham and is the most positive of fans. Always optimistic and willing to see the brighter side.

That was until this summer. I decided enough was enough. In truth I have tried desperately to like the soulless bowl, I really have, but sadly I just can’t. The scaffolding, the seating positioning in a different post code from the pitch, the giant trampolines, the dullest of dull walks from the station and that general feel of ‘this just isn’t our home’…the list is endless.

But despite all that, it is not the reason I walked away. I could continue to live with the bowl, after all, I am aware my days of sharing time with my eldest are probably limited now he can legally drink in pubs with his mates!

The reasons I have walked away and will stay away are completely down to my utter dismay with how the club is being run and the complete absence of ambition and direction.

I an actually look beyond the promises we were made by GSB. Many of them should have been achievable with direction and a plan but I cannot hold onto that forever. But what I cannot look beyond is that after 10 years with these fools running the club (into the ground..), we still cannot show any evidence of a long term plan or strategy.

Modern football is so far removed from the old days. For me, success now comes from either bags and bags of money or a proper long term vision with all the right working parts attached and together in order to achieve the overall goal or progress on and off the pitch.

Given our owners in Premier League terms haven’t got the bags of money, they should have a plan. That plan should should include the basic infrastructure of a club our size.
1. Training facilities that players feel proud and pleased to use every day. That the kids in the Academy can thrive from being on.
2. It should include a proper scouting network where we have the staff and resources to go out and find the kind of bargains that clubs like Brentford find almost effortlessly.
3. It should include a recruitment strategy that people believe in, staff and fans alike.
For example, we buy people 25 and under, we look to improve these players on superb facilities and with a top coaching set up. We are prepared to move the best of them on for big profits and bring the next ones through and invest that cash back into the team.
4. We put money and focus back into the Academy. It’s the one thing that I always felt most proud of as a West Ham fan and whilst a few kids are coming through, the sale of Grady for me has just ruined the hope on that front.

I could go on and on. The fact is GSB have not delivered on any front. Money has been spent, but with no direction or plan. Managerial appointments are messy and based on cheapest option.
Look at Swansea’s rise. They said they wanted a certain style of play and appointed managers to match that vision. Martinez took them through the leagues, and is now Belgium manager. Then Sousa and Rodgers after him who kept the same style going and look what he has achieved since.

What that allows is player recruitment to fit the model. Changing manager doesn’t then mean the need for a total rebuild as the right type of players are still available in the right positions.

We’re the complete opposite. BFS to Bilic. All out defence and lump it up requiring one type of player, counter attacking with pace under Bilic requiring another. Then to Moyes who wants a compact and disciplined shape, defenders who can defend.

Then to Pellegrini who wanted none of that. Just as many flair players as we can find please. And of course back to Moyes again and around we go……

Sullivan can moan and pass the buck all he wants. He can claim it’s the fans that wanted the big name manager and big signings but he is the owner. He has the final say on everything and he has got it wrong over and over and over again.

At the end of the day, it’s this that has made me walk away. And it is this that has made even my super positive 18 year old son walk away too. He was going to carry on going anyway, but he turned to me 2 weeks ago and just said ‘Dad, I cannot believe I am saying this, but I am not doing it anymore. What hope is there with these owners?’

Good question. The answer….none.