Skip to main content

'We were promised a dream, we were given a nightmare'

The controversy over events at the London Stadium rages on with parts of the British public seized by 'one of its periodical fits of morality' of which the original quote said 'We know no spectacle more ridiculous'. Fans shouldn't invade the pitch, but they have to be very angry to do so and it is worth trying to understand what lies behind that anger.

Mark Walker of the West Ham United Independent Supporters' Association writes in The Times this morning. I appreciate that there is no generally accepted spokesman for West Ham fans, indeed this is part of the problem. They are the only London team, so I am told, not to have a supporters' trust.

He says: 'West Ham are the only Premier League club that won't engage meaningfully with their fans. One of the key frustrations of supporters is that their voices are not being heard. What does the club fear?' [As a Charlton fan, I can sympathise with a situation where the owners won't engage in meaningful dialogue with the fans].

'What our supporters have always enjoyed is being a bit different: playing the game a certain way, despite modest resources, being a little bit better in so many ways - and that included having one of the best football grounds in the country. [I remember going there on Boxing Day to see Charlton lose 5-0.] By moving the club, they have turned us into a Trotters Independent Trading version of Arsenal.'

'[The] directors raised expectations beyond a point where they had the competence or willingness to deliver. The lack of investment on and off the pitch has caused the ill-feeling to spread far beyond the thousands who know the stadium is not fit for purpose. What happened on Saturday was pent-up rage and, whatever your issue with the club, the cause is to be found in the directors' box, next to Sir Trevor Brooking.' [This is an edited down version of what he says].

West Ham have requested taking control of the stewards, who are employed by the stadium operator. However, that is unlikely as the operator would be owed millions of pounds to cancel their lengthy contract with the stadium owner.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Threat of financial calamity removed from Baggies

West Bromwich Albion had effectively been in decline ever since the club was sold to a Chinese consortium in August 2016, paying a figure north of £200m to buy former owner Jeremy Peace’s stake. Controlling shareholder Guochuan Lai’s ownership was fairly disastrous for the club, but his unloved tenure finally came to an end after Bilkul Football WBA, a company ultimately owned by Florida-based entrepreneur Shilen Patel and his father Dr Kiran Patel, acquired an 87.8% shareholding in West Bromwich Albion Group Limited, the parent company of West Bromwich Albion Football Club. This change in ownership was urgently required, due to the numerous financial problems facing West Brom, including growing high-interest debt and serious cash flow concerns, following years of no investment from the former owner. Indeed, West Brom’s auditors had already rung the alarm bell in the 2021/22 accounts when they cast doubt on the club’s ability to continue as a going concern without making player s
1 comment
Read more

Gold standard ground boosts Tottenham's income

The gold standard in European football grounds is the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in north London, a £1bn construction project completed in 2019. Its impact on the club’s finances has become increasingly clear as the effects of the pandemic have faded. Previously, the average fan would spend less than £2 inside the ground on a typical match day, but now that figure is about £16, thanks to new facilities including the longest bar in Europe and an on-site microbrewery. Capacity has gone up from 36,000 at the club’s previous home of White Hart Lane to 62,000.  The new stadium — built on land adjacent to White Hart Lane — has opened the door to a broad range of other events that have helped to push commercial income up from €117mn in 2018 to €215mn in 2022. Last year, Tottenham hosted US singer Beyoncé for five nights on her global Renaissance tour, two NFL matches, as well as rugby games and heavyweight boxing bouts.  Money brought in from football has gone up too. Match day income is
Post a Comment
Read more

Spurs to sell minority stake

Tottenham Hotspur is in talks to sell a minority stake in a deal that could value it at up to £3.75 billion and pave the way for Joe Lewis and his family to sever ties with the Premier League football club. Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is seeking an investment that values the club at between £3.5 billion and £3.75 billion, including debt. While the terms of any deal have not been finalised, City sources expect Spurs to sell about 10 per cent. The club is being advised by bankers from Rothschild on the sale. Tottenham wants to raise fresh capital for new player signings and to help fund the development of an academy for its women’s team, as well as a 30-storey hotel next to its north London stadium. The financier Amanda Staveley, who brokered the deal for Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund to take over Newcastle United, is understood to be among the parties to have expressed an interest in Tottenham. Staveley’s fund, PCP Capital Partners, has raised about £500 million to depl
Post a Comment
Read more