I know that for many Hammers, their first trip to Upton Park was a formative experience, a familial rite-of-passage that sealed their fate. That was never the case for me… This differing outlook has always given me a reasonably healthy perspective on all things West Ham.
My own formative experience came on 14 April 1991. For anyone too young to recognise the significance of that date, it was a 4-0 FA Cup semi-final defeat to Nottingham Forest…
West Ham’s official site includes it as one of the club’s ‘Greatest Matches’, explaining why: ‘the Claret and Blue Army made their defiant, passionate support clear… “Billy Bonds’ Claret and Blue Army” rang loud and proud non-stop around Villa Park, despite the scoreline…’
Learning to lose is part and parcel of football; what I learnt that day is that there are victories to be gained even in defeat, and that’s a very valuable lesson for those with little to celebrate.
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Anger vs. Atmosphere: The London Stadium Problem
Similarly, one other thing I did take from early trips to Upton Park was the spirit of Over Land and Sea (OLAS), which – like many fanzines of the day – adopted a humorously irreverent approach. Football got more serious and businesslike with the birth of the Premier League but I’m still a firm believer that it should be fun. And when we’re being served dross on the pitch, it’s up to supporters to find the fun.
That’s not to say that we should accept dross with a smile. I understand the antagonism behind the Hammers United protests while also believing that vitriol such as the oft-stated desire to ‘drag ’em out like dogs’ takes things a step too far.
Massive respect to anyone who organises their life around West Ham and feels passionately enough to organise demonstrations. On the other hand, that impromptu defiance at Villa Park in ’91 still feels more powerful than anything witnessed in or outside the London Stadium and it pains me that we can’t translate that atmosphere to the here and now. It’s often said that the London Stadium feels like an away ground, so why can’t we make it Villa Park?
Finding Medicine in Laughter
Sky Sports reported before the Crystal Palace match: “Potter and the club are in pain. Results are the medicine and he’s desperate to get his fix on Saturday”. Three points would indeed have been a welcome tonic. In their absence, laughter seems the next best medicine.
This season has had an air of “if you didn’t laugh, you’d cry” about it since day one. Anger is a natural reaction but so often self-defeating.
Bill Shankly famously opined: “Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I don’t like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that”. Personally, I think Shanks needed to watch a bit more Life of Brian. My preference will always be gallows humour, and the board seem to be in on the joke when the number-one candidate to replace Potter (Nuno Espírito Santo) is the only man to have lost to him this season.
The Gallows Humour Gauntlet
So, in an attempt to raise spirits, here are some of the best (or worst, depending on your point of view) West Ham gags doing the rounds…
- What’s the difference between supporting West Ham and sadomasochism? S&M dungeons are cheerier places than the LS.
- Jose Mourinho has distanced himself from the West Ham job. Asked if he could see himself working with David Sullivan, Mourinho replied: “I’m not that special.”
- What’s the difference between a West Ham goalkeeper and a taxi driver? The cabbie will only let four in.
- Next up on the Footballer’s Football Podcast: Iain Dowie gives Callum Wilson some tips on how to continue his Hammers hot streak…
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