Our club, my club..
Yarmouth 8:21 Fri Feb 27

Other articles by Yarmouth...

I was reading the Bobby Moore book, the man in full as he was a real hero of mine as a kid / teenager. If he’d been alive now he would still be even though I’m now 57.

There’s something about our club, our supporters, our ground, the real class players we’ve had down the years that makes me proud to be a West Ham fan.

I’ve posted before that it all started when I was about 5 or 6, living in Southend, the old Man working in Leytonstone selling used cars and going to his garage to sit in the office with him on a Saturday.

I remember hammers fans everywhere, in the street, the shops, the scarves, rosettes, those fucking rattles we all had etc etc then going to the match through the turnstiles pay at the gate.

Moved to Yarmouth when I was 12 and never understood why the kids I got to know didn’t support Norwich and often changed their teams every season or even midway through with most supporting Man U, the scouse, the Yids or Leeds, although Arsenal became popular back then in the mid 70’s.

Never crossed my mind to change club, never. Often hated West Ham for being crap, but never thought of changing. Giving up supporting them – yes – but never changing to another club.

This season has been a real turn around, huge surprise to be where we are and how we’ve played on a lot of occasions. I don’t care if we never win the prem, the Champs league, the FA cup (again), I was at Wembley in 80 after following them right from the 3rd round, and apart from my daughter being born it was the best day of my life and I’m proud to say so.

Some of the players I simply can’t relate to now & that’s why it was great to see Noble given the contract – a real fan, a very good footballer and the core of our club. There’s a certain style, a certain class to being West Ham whether it’s a manager, a player or a fan.

That may be old fashioned, it may not bring us the actual success of a Man U, a Man City, the scouse or Chelsea, but it’s what being part of this club is about.

That’s why Allardyce will never fit in with us. He’s not one of us. I’ve travelled a lot over the years in my job, and when you go in a boozer, a workplace, even a oilfield desert camp or a rig offshore you bump into fellow hammer’s and there’s a bond, a friendship that just happens.

Doesn’t turn into lifelong friendship, but it’s a kindred spirit thing, a sticking together.

Other mates of mine who support the glamour sides freely admit they don’t have that, they don’t feel like they belong to it outside of their own group of mates etc.

We’re different somehow, we’re West ham, and proud of it – and I’m welling up writing this last bit – like I’ve said before in other posts – soppy old cunt..

Don’t quite know why I decided to write this other than reading some posts on WHO this morning, being thousands of miles away from home and wanting to connect.

Anyhow – COYFI’s !!

Steady 8:35 Fri Feb 27
Re: Our club, my club..

Exactly how I feel about our great club, good post COYI

appyhammer78 8:39 Fri Feb 27
Re: Our club, my club..

Yes mate enjoyed reading this

Monk~koknee 8:42 Fri Feb 27
Re: Our club, my club..

Great, Yarmouth.

The dilemma is which path do we want the club to take in the future. Can success be combined with retaining tradition.

COOL HAND LUKE 9:55 Fri Feb 27
Re: Our club, my club..

'Success' (such as it is measured at Chelsea / Man City / etc) will probably require that some of our tradition is polished out. Not sure we can have it both ways, altho Arsenal seem to have retained that 'feel' so maybe it's do-able?

I grew up in Leytonstone, Yarmouth. We were just off Leytonstone High Street, opposite the old bowling alley, which is long gone now. We had a big car showroom just around the corner, next door to the pub (think it was the Grapes at the time but again, long gone). The car showroom had a small woodyard / storage depot behind it (I remember that as my little bro set fire to it!).

I went to Thomas Hood (as it was then) which was Sir Bobby's school. As I have said on here before, I met the great man when he presented prizes at a London Schoolboys football competition.

Happy days. Wouldn't want to live there now tho...

charleyfarley 10:00 Fri Feb 27
Re: Our club, my club..

THe Plough and Harrow, the bowling alley, bought my first car in Leytonstone might have been your old man Yarmouth. You owe me 50 notes

COOL HAND LUKE 10:07 Fri Feb 27
Re: Our club, my club..

charley

The pub in question was on the corner of L'stone Hi Rd and Davies Lane? It was literally right across the road from the bowling alley.

It's been a nightclub in recent times but is right now being developed into (offices / apartments).

Northern Sold 10:09 Fri Feb 27
Re: Our club, my club..

Great thread Yarmouth ... from the heart fella

Pub Bigot 10:17 Fri Feb 27
Re: Our club, my club..

Love reading stuff like this. Heart warming and it's nice those still have that bond with the club.

Bright Eyes 10:29 Fri Feb 27
Re: Our club, my club..

Great post Yarmouth, think that sums it up for most of us.

charleyfarley 10:51 Fri Feb 27
Re: Our club, my club..

THanks Cool HAND spent many a night in there, Courage house if i recall correctly

Terrywait 11:07 Fri Feb 27
Re: Our club, my club..

Quite enjoyed that as it goes.

PDC ON THE VOLLEY 11:09 Fri Feb 27
Re: Our club, my club..

I grew up on Downsell Road Leyton and my old man used to take me to the King Harold Pub as his mate owned it!

PDC ON THE VOLLEY 11:11 Fri Feb 27
Re: Our club, my club..

Btw great post we're here for you BROTHER!

Crassus 11:21 Fri Feb 27
Re: Our club, my club..

Brilliantly put Yarmouth and so true, reminds me of a convo with my lad when he was a nipper

Living now in north Bucks when he started school he asked about his mates teams, they said WH were rubbish - is that true dad?

Teams come and go son, some poor some better but there is one constant thing, the supporters and our history. We come from there, you are the fifth generation that have followed WH and we are all WH. Plus, I promise you this, where ever you travel in the world, you will always meet WH. And so it has been proven to be - even the bloody dolphin trainer in Mexico.

The White Horse 4:48 Fri Feb 27
Re: Our club, my club..

Excellent post man. Take a bow.

PDC ON THE VOLLEY 4:51 Fri Feb 27
Re: Our club, my club..

Crassus 11:21 Fri Feb 27

Wherever you go there's always an Iron!

Private Dancer 6:21 Fri Feb 27
Re: Our club, my club..

Good post, Yarmouth.

the exile 6:31 Fri Feb 27
Re: Our club, my club..

Very nice post, Yarmouth, but I don't agree that Allardyce doesn't fit in because he's not "one of us". I sincerely hope that our next manager is a highly successful and inspiring one, and if he is, it won't bother me at all if he isn't "one of us". The reason Allardyce doesn't fit in is quite simply because he is a two-faced, arrogant, conceited cunt of a man who only seems to know how to manage a football team about half of the time.

chim chim cha boo 6:37 Fri Feb 27
Re: Our club, my club..

I think as we get older we become MORE sentimental and there's fuck all wrong with that. I feel much the same as that excellent post Yarmouth and I'm sure at the last game at Upton Park before we take that great leap into the unknown I'll probably cry like a tart.

My mum and dad live in Canning Town but when we leave UP that will be it for a lot of moved-out East End supporters. No links at all to the side of town we grew up in.

Strange times we are living in. Change of area, change of badge, a board I find it hard to trust and a manager I don't like and who seems to think the club are beneath him and he's doing us a massive favour managing.

As I say, great post Yarmouth and quite reassuring that wherever we go we go with our great fans.

gazamma 6:58 Fri Feb 27
Re: Our club, my club..

Stand up and take a bow Yarmouth

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