Barging Pads and the Catcher’s Mitt Published 27/03/18 on Moore Than Just A Club
They say, “Home is where the heart is!” But regarding West Ham United…there is neither a home, and one may even question if the heart has gone into cardiac arrest. “Charge the Pads…Stat!”
Whilst the masses have become energised in their displeasure for the current plight of the club, there are those who have reached a point of no return and their frustration and anger at the owners will not subside. The club and the fanbase have reached an impasse, where neither would show the will to simmer, if only for a short period.
The next match is crucial in terms of Premier League survival as it sets the tone for the run in games. Each game now is a ‘must win’ irrespective of the opponents but the reality is that most games will be lost or at best drawn. The owners have called for a truce but they do nothing to appease angers and dull down the flames, as their intention is still to attend the first match back after the international break.
The London Stadium was supposed to be the fan’s Mecca, the spiritual and tangible home…but it has been anything but that! What is a home? It is where you live, where you have your personal possessions, where you feel secure and dare I say it…a little be cosy and comfortable! That, unfortunately does not apply to where West Ham play their home games. It is merely a venue that hosts football matches as well as athletics, rugby, concerts…and potentially baseball! Yes baseball! Ludicrous isn’t it?
If the club owned the stadium and operated many sports teams under the same banner, i.e. West Ham United – Football, Rugby, Basketball…or even bloody Baseball…then yes, a multipurpose stadium and facilities might be warranted. But none of that applies to the club, none of that is possible and the viewing and event going experience will always be the same.
The stadium owners do not care about the well being of West Ham United…the club fans, history and tradition. They are non plussed about whether relegation is indeed a prospect or a spectre…all they want is for that stadium to earn money to pay for itself…which it clearly isn’t as it is forecast to be in the region of £140million in debt over the next 10yrs.
So, many are holding their breath as more talks will proceed in the coming months, and more disputes will be played out in the courts, between the club and the stadium parties, will unfold to reveal who are the righteous and who are the party poopers. For most of the West Ham fans now may believe that the club has been at fault this whole time, and whilst there is truth in there somewhere…it is also true that the club have been wrestling the actions points over the last 18months but with no success.
It goes without saying that the owners moved the club too soon in their eagerness to capitalise on improving revenue streams and lower operating costs…but what has the true cost been to the club and the fans? They were complicit in ignoring the main issues of the stadium and the emotions of the fanbase. They have not communicated their intentions, nor have they about the ongoing struggles behind the scenes to rectify some of the problem areas at the stadium. There can only be one reason for this…as it would affect the bottom line and fans would have revolted before even moving…well they have their revolution now, albeit nearly two years later.
They were negligent when not ensuring that the stadium was not first and foremost a football stadium. If the plan was to have it as a multipurpose venue, then so be it but convert it from football and not from athletics, as it currently stands.
Most supporters are now looking to the club and wondering what is the end game here? Was this really all about money and property investment portfolios as rumours amass of an alleged back door arrangement from the sale of Upton Park? Was this really all about the profit margins, business and branding? Where were the interests of the club and the fans in all of this?
David Sullivan has stated that they want to be in charge for at least another 5-6yrs to make good on their ambitions for the club, whilst many of the fans would wish they sold up now and left for good. Either way, the club, team and fanbase is a broken entity as it stands now and no amount of posturing and promises will fix that now. Many have called for unity amongst the supporters to back the team…well that’s what fans have always done and that is their only weapon to hand. Any protestations might fall on deaf ears, any stadium dissenters or pitch invaders will face life bans…so where can the fans hold the owners and the club as a whole accountable for its current plight?
A football club is not formed because of sole purpose to kick ball into net, but rather to build a movement of unity between players and supporters, that builds a community that is entertained…and when it cannot, then the community offers that helping hand. This is a home and this is where the heart is! The supporters make up that heart that has grown in affection over decades…more than any players or owners that come and go.
A footballing home is not for sharing with others, when they would act to steal and tarnish its purpose. The club should not have let this happen, the fans were sold falsehoods and did not stand firm until all was clear…and the stadium owners are treating the club as unwanted tenants, they want to charge more or they want to evict…but they can’t for lost revenues, lost taxes and a failed Lord Coe legacy that all should be ashamed of.
There can only be one rectification now that would suit purpose…for the club, the fans and the tax payer! Irrespective of whether the current owners stay or leave…the London Stadium must be bought by the club and converted to a proper football stadium…or the club must leave and find somewhere else to play…which is highly unlikely. There is no room for the barging pads and the catcher’s mitt on the playing fields…this must only be for football, this should be for fan’s approval and it has to be a home!