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.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Wolves get raw deal from FFP

  I used to see a lifelong Wolves fan for lunch once a month.   He was approaching ninety, but still went to games.   Sadly he passed away the other week. As football finance guru Kieran Maguire has noted, Wolves continue to be constrained by financial fair play rules.  Radio 4 this morning described them as this year's 'crisis club' and the pessimists have certainly been piling in. Martin Samuel wrote sympathetically in the Sunday Times yesterday, saying that the Premier League drives talent away with regulatory red tape: 'Why could Al-Hilal sign Neves? Because Wolves needed the money. And why did Wolves need the money? Because the club had to comply with an artificial construct known as financial fair play. So Wolves are going skint, yes? No. There is no suggestion that Wolves are in financial trouble, only that they are failing to meet the rigours of FFP. Wolves’ owners appear to have the money to run the club, and invest in the club, and in fact came up with a pow

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

Charlton takeover approved

The long awaited takeover of Charlton Athletic by SE7 Partners from Thomas Sandgaard has been approved:  https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/se7-partners-obtain-efl-approval-for-charlton-athletic-takeover/ Charlton have had unhappy experiences with owners for over a decade, so how this works out will remain to be seen.  There is certainly potential there, but will it be realised? This interview with Charlie Methven gives detail not available elsewhere:  https://thecharltondossier.com/charlie-methven-on-the-record/