...and that headline would have been all about the immense mental strength of Jack Collison, pulling on a West Ham shirt some 48 hours after his father passed away. Instead, those headlines, that moment, was stolen by thugs and idiots invading the pitch at Upton Park. I don't give a monkeys if 'Millwall' started it, and to be honest I don't really care about what happened outside the ground. The cameras and the commentators are inside the ground and there can be no doubt it was idiots who claim to support West Ham who repeatedly invaded the pitch.
Have we not had enough troubles in the past week without this heaping more grief on our club? Do you think a fine or a game behind closed doors will do us good right now? Do you want to be looked down upon by other clubs as visit their grounds? Clearly the answer for some is yes but if it is, you are not a West Ham fan. I understand the highs and lows of football, have been through plenty supporting this club for twenty five plus years, but invading a pitch during a game and bringing the club into disrepute is something that just does not need to be done.
Anyway, I'm bored of talking about this now, I want to go back to Jack Collison. You have made yourself an Upton Park legend already mate, showing how much you want to put on the shirt and I am gutted for you that the ball hit the post rather than nestled in the net like I know you wanted it to. It will come, don't you worry. Congratulations to Hines and Stanislas as well for their excellent performances.
But there can only be one man of the match for me: Jack Collison. It's just a shame so many people wanted to ruin your night Jack, I can only apologise on their behalf, as you can be sure they don't have the brains to do so themselves.
Perfectly put, Jack is an absolute legend & he played out of his skin & really deserved a goal. It is so refreshing to see somebody so driven to want to play for our historic club & not purely driven by money, hopefully we can hold onto him & with individuals with spirit like him we should have a bright future. Lucas Neill take note!
Posted by: Chris Cooper | 26/08/2009 at 12:19
Agree with all of the above, what a bunch of mindless tossers. Collison a legend, a gifted young footballer who played last night so soon after such a tragic loss.
Posted by: iron man | 26/08/2009 at 12:32
I was quite surprised to see Collison in the line up last night and could not have blamed him if he ducked out, so I take my hat of to ya son and my heart goes out to you and your family at this very difficult time. What were those effing twats thinking of last night? Probably nothing as they have no organ to think with, effing little c***s, I feel so much comtempt for them right now, I hate them and hope that they get all that deserve and if any of those idiots end up being banged, don't drop yer soap in the showers boys. The media don't help either as they could choose to concentrate on Jack Collison and what a true hero he really is, but violence at football games makes bigger news and those idiots gave the gutter press the very news that the hacks get erectile plearsure form by printing it as if the club hasn't been through enough and how must young Jack Collison be feeling right now? Poor sod.
Posted by: Steve B | 26/08/2009 at 12:46
Er calm down, Collison is a 20 year old with bags of ability and potential, but don't call him a legend yet for christ sake!
Agreed the headlines were all wrong, the headlines were not about beating our rivals (football-wise) and progressing to the next round. And THIS is what football is about, not smashing each others heads in and running onto the pitch like a moron.
Posted by: Jobo | 26/08/2009 at 12:48
On all these fan websites no one has yet said yes i ran onto the pitch
i want to know why they did?
We didnt even invade the pitch after we got promoted or got through to the fa cup final so why last night on our home pitch. Every fan with a brain last night was obviously thinking of the recriminations we will face.
I also feel We should never ever play Millwall again except in cup finals.
I just hope we are not thrown out of the Competition.
Posted by: Charlie B-G | 26/08/2009 at 13:10
I welled up last night for Collison as I saw he could no longer hold the emotion back... Poor fella, I hate seeing blokes cry - but in his situation it’s completely understandable. Gutted that his well stuck effort hit the bar, wouldn’t that just have been a suitable reward for donning the claret and blue shirt in such difficult personal times. What I can’t get my noodle around though is the complete and utter muppets inside and outside the ground that have the front to call themselves fans of our club. I have been going to West Ham since I was a little girl and now I’m worried about attending the matches I have tickets for over the coming weeks. I could well do without the aggro to be honest, and don’t fancy getting wellied in the boat with a bottle of wee or a chipped brick because visiting fans are attempting to goad that small selection of idiots that refer to themselves as Hammers into another lager fuelled pitch invasion or Green Street riot. Non attendance though is the last thing the club needs, as a drop in attendance means a drop in revenue and as we know every penny of revenue counts at present. We need to brace ourselves for what the FA are going to do an all – we got away with the Tevez affair – doubt they’ll be so lenient this time around. If any of you that did invade the pitch or cause trouble outside the ground last night do happen to read this (although I feel it might have too many long words in it for you) – you should be ashamed of yourselves, you think you are big brave men?! Well, you ain’t. Jack Collison is brave – look what he did for the love of his club last night. What did you do in the name of our club? You are scum – the lot of you.
Posted by: JonesyGirl | 26/08/2009 at 14:01
The only positive to come out of last night is the fact that we haven't had many of the trite and stupid excuses we used to get back in the day when this type of thing happened regularly.
Even all the hammers fans on the radio today have been condemning the idiots that took part in the trouble last night.
Let's hope these morons get banned for life
neil G
Posted by: neilg | 26/08/2009 at 16:20
I am very sadden and appalled by the minority of idiots who, have now brought all the West Ham haters out of the woodwork with sharpened teeth.
This is not a local event that took place, we are now globally being looked upon, and not in a positive way.
If you mindless idiots think this has improved our chances of a wealthy owner looking upon us as a "great investment" and a asset. Well shove your uneducated heads back in the sand again. You might have screwed us up in many ways, for many years to come!
For Copllison....My heart cries for you Mate. This should have been your night and the spotlight should have been on you. Be strong Lad, you have a clear path in front of you leading to stardom.
Posted by: LAHammer | 26/08/2009 at 17:06
wouldnt it be a good idea if any of us recognise or know these thugs to shop them and make public their identities? after all we are the majority and they the minority? so shouldnt we stand together and say "no more" and get rid of this cancer that eats away at this club and football? we have the cure for this one and that is solidarity!
Posted by: mick the fish. | 26/08/2009 at 20:41
Mick the Fish - I agree with you in principal, but in practice it’s a bit difficult to confront these idiots on a match day when they've had a few pints and are ready to kick off with anyone and that includes their fellow supporters... The authorities should use all tools and evidence available, we live in an HD age indentifying these bods and posting their mug shots on sites such as this and the official club site shouldn’t be too hard. Name and shame - stop them that way as I for one won't be pulling anyone up in person for behaviours we saw last night - I go to football to watch the club I’ve been brought up to love, not run the risk of getting my head kicked in by some f**kwit that thinks its "all part of the game".
Posted by: JonesyGirl | 26/08/2009 at 22:03
in the early ninties i came home from being away on an overseas posting of two years working in the amazon basin training jungle survival and warfare one of the first things i did was to go with my brother to watch west ham play qpr at loftus rd . however sitting on the underground found that a firm of young west ham thugs who had entered the carriage were intent on smashing the carriage up (around twenty 18 to 30 yr olds). i watched one idiot take the tube light out and before he could do anything asked him to "put it back" it caused a silent stand off and the whole carriage went quiet , i then told him to put it back and to my suprise a fellow passenger and west ham fan stood with me and said the same thing . the light went back and the group of hoolies got off the next stop. i am not saying we should all be as foolhardy or brave as i was judge it as you wish what i suggested was that we should stand up to these people its supprising how weak they are when you single them out as individuals sure there are a few who are stronger who bind them together and have been made iconic because the weaker of the group put them on pedestals but i can guarantee it doesnt take much to knock them off.
i supply the above not as a solution by any means merely an example.
what i suggested was not to confront directly but to identify the people who took part by giving information to the relative authorities
after all its these that are there to protect us but firstly we must help them to help us.
Posted by: mick the fish | 26/08/2009 at 22:41
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