Liverpool

[gnasher16 30,025]

15 hours ago, Nicepix said:

I don't support anybody Gnasher. I used to follow and watch Leeds in the Revie era as that was where we were living when I discovered football. I ripped the badge off my denim jacket the day Clough was appointed and never got close to any club again. I admire clubs like Leicester & Bournemouth  for punching above their weight whilst playing attractive football, and clubs like Liverpool who have consistently played good football come what may. There were periods when I admired Arsenal under the young Wenger and West Ham under Bilic. I am warming to Chelsea under Lampard too. I don't like cheating and Chairmen taking the loyalty of fans for granted and I don't like clubs who buy success as per City and the Chelsea of a few years ago. 

I plead neutrality!

Good for you id imagine its an interesting angle to view sport from,personally i find it hard to watch sport if nothings riding on it even if i just have a quick bet on a game or a fight i have to commit to one or the other.....but yes i can see how being a true neutral allows for a fairly balanced opinion i guess you could be classed as a pure fan of football which is nice really.

Do you watch French football or not ?.....I dont even think French people watch French football do they

[gnasher16 30,025]

John Robertson theres a name i remember wasnt he a winger,fat f****r he used to get dogs abuse down the Hammers but always had the last laugh,could certainly swing a cross in for Gary Birtles though as i remember.....great Forest side that was.

[gnasher16 30,025]

3 minutes ago, sid g said:

once cloughie got him on the right track he turned out a decent player for a few seasons fast , yes he played on the wing still see him about he was asst  manager to martin o`neil @ a few clubs .. 

Its funny the way certain teams stick out in your mind i could probably still name that Forest team of the late 70,s early 80s from 1 - 11 

I remember Shilts looking up at us in the North Bank with utter contempt ....i mean what abuse can you give to what i suppose at the time was the best keeper in the world maybe ?

[WILF 46,608]

11 minutes ago, gnasher16 said:

Its funny the way certain teams stick out in your mind i could probably still name that Forest team of the late 70,s early 80s from 1 - 11 

I remember Shilts looking up at us in the North Bank with utter contempt ....i mean what abuse can you give to what i suppose at the time was the best keeper in the world maybe ?

Did you used to stand in the North Bank mate? 
That’s where me and my pals always stood.

[Nicepix 5,650]

1 hour ago, gnasher16 said:

Good for you id imagine its an interesting angle to view sport from,personally i find it hard to watch sport if nothings riding on it even if i just have a quick bet on a game or a fight i have to commit to one or the other.....but yes i can see how being a true neutral allows for a fairly balanced opinion i guess you could be classed as a pure fan of football which is nice really.

Do you watch French football or not ?.....I dont even think French people watch French football do they

It is a big rugby area out here. I couldn't even name the nearest League 1 team. From what I gather PSG and Monaco are sponsored by the sort of people behind City and the rest of the league wouldn't be regarded as Premier League material. But I don't follow French football so I could be wrong. We sponsor the village side every year as does almost every resident by buying their calendar. It is a traditional thing out here that you buy a calendar from the post man, the fire brigade and the local football team. We never use the calendars but it we still buy them annually.

I mainly follow the Premier League due to my interest in the Fantasy Football League. It is surprising how absorbing that can be. And you pick up on things that more partisan followers might miss. I have three Liverpool players in my team because they offer the best value for money. Someone else might have three Everton players in their side because they follow that team. I picked Soyuncu and Lundstram well before they became household names. Others still hang onto Walcott for nostalgic reasons.  Being neutral gives me a better perspective.

[Nicepix 5,650]

3 minutes ago, sid g said:

good side just got broke up to soon , good times to be a forest fan shame it all went wrong for them , i cant think of a better keeper around at the time although him and ray clemance used to take it in turns for england ..   he used to get some stick from away fans over this  ---------

) Peter 'pants down' Shilton

In May 1980, the England goalkeeper parked his Jag in a dirt track behind Nottingham racecourse with Tina Street at 5am. No drama there, except Shilts had drunk a few too many and Tina's husband Colin was hardly enamoured with the fact that the pair were "partially clothed" when he tried to open the car door. When police arrived at the scene, Shilts sped off, crashed into a lamppost and was busted for drink driving. 

 

 

In off the post. How ironic.

[gnasher16 30,025]

3 hours ago, sid g said:

good side just got broke up to soon , good times to be a forest fan shame it all went wrong for them , i cant think of a better keeper around at the time although him and ray clemance used to take it in turns for england ..   he used to get some stick from away fans over this  ---------

) Peter 'pants down' Shilton

In May 1980, the England goalkeeper parked his Jag in a dirt track behind Nottingham racecourse with Tina Street at 5am. No drama there, except Shilts had drunk a few too many and Tina's husband Colin was hardly enamoured with the fact that the pair were "partially clothed" when he tried to open the car door. When police arrived at the scene, Shilts sped off, crashed into a lamppost and was busted for drink driving. 

 

 

He would of got a pat on the back for that down the Hammers 

[gnasher16 30,025]

3 hours ago, WILF said:

Did you used to stand in the North Bank mate? 
That’s where me and my pals always stood.

Ive been all over in that ground mate i spent most of my youth on the South Bank but late 80,s would use either the North Bank or the Chicken Run.....ended my days there in the West Stand.....still miss that ol gaff dont you mate just aint the same since.

[gnasher16 30,025]

3 hours ago, Nicepix said:

It is a big rugby area out here. I couldn't even name the nearest League 1 team. From what I gather PSG and Monaco are sponsored by the sort of people behind City and the rest of the league wouldn't be regarded as Premier League material. But I don't follow French football so I could be wrong. We sponsor the village side every year as does almost every resident by buying their calendar. It is a traditional thing out here that you buy a calendar from the post man, the fire brigade and the local football team. We never use the calendars but it we still buy them annually.

I mainly follow the Premier League due to my interest in the Fantasy Football League. It is surprising how absorbing that can be. And you pick up on things that more partisan followers might miss. I have three Liverpool players in my team because they offer the best value for money. Someone else might have three Everton players in their side because they follow that team. I picked Soyuncu and Lundstram well before they became household names. Others still hang onto Walcott for nostalgic reasons.  Being neutral gives me a better perspective.

Good for you....i did look into all that Fantasy Football caper as i thought it would be a nice little interest rather than losing my dough betting on games ....but it was all a bit time consuming and a little bit more involved than id anticipated.....i keep an eye on the leagues abroad i know Monaco havent started well but like you say beyond the top couple of sides im not sure its the strongest league..... i heard through the grapevine that Toulouse have offered Wilf off here a family size Buche de Noel if he takes up the holding midfielders role before Xmas 

Edited November 21, 2019 by gnasher16

[Nicepix 5,650]

16 minutes ago, gnasher16 said:

Good for you....i did look into all that Fantasy Football caper as i thought it would be a nice little interest rather than losing my dough betting on games ....but it was all a bit time consuming and a little bit more involved than id anticipated.....i keep an eye on the leagues abroad i know Monaco havent started well but like you say beyond the top couple of sides im not sure its the strongest league..... i heard through the grapevine that Toulouse have offered Wilf off here a family size Buche de Noel if he takes up the holding midfielders role before Xmas 

I've just had a look and the nearest League 1 team to us is at Bordeaux which is a lovely city to spend a weekend away in. If Wilf signs for Toulouse you could fly over for the weekend with Ryanair and cheer him on. You might recognise one of their defenders as well. He used to play over the river from your gaff 

[WILF 46,608]

49 minutes ago, gnasher16 said:

Ive been all over in that ground mate i spent most of my youth on the South Bank but late 80,s would use either the North Bank or the Chicken Run.....ended my days there in the West Stand.....still miss that ol gaff dont you mate just aint the same since.

Well, given all the chat of late about our form and all that (which frankly isn’t something new to the likes of us and wouldn’t have been that big a deal at the old gaff) I’m sort of saying “hold it, we have been sold a pup here”

I have been chatting with a few pals along the lines of:

We moved, I understood the logic behind the sales pitch.....move the club forward and all that and based on that I was for it as you probably remember......I get it, that’s where modern sport is going.

But, now I’m thinking “hold on, this is what we have always been served up and we could have done this at home”

I have not been to the new place yet, I have been going non league when I have been over but I have to admit I’m not that worried about it.......obviously my boy really wants to go to the flash new stadium and all that so I will take him when we feel like it but other than that.

I know I wouldn’t feel like that if we still at home, I’d be on the train and down the hammers when I’m over instead of up East Thurrock Unt 

A few of my pals seem to like it but it’s more company director office boys getting on the piss for the day away from the old woman and reciting lines from Football Factory when in real life they wouldn’t say boo to a goose.......f**k all that, not a bit of me.

I just want to go to my football, have some crap out of an old cafe, strong cup of tea, watch the game and go home all amongst fellow hammers fans.
 

Its a hard one mate, as a hammers fan (imho) its sort of unspoken rules that you never expect too much, don’t get carried away, take your ups with your downs, don’t crack on like a silly Man City fan talking about winning leagues and top 4 and all that old malarkey.......you just don’t do it because it’s embarrassing.

But maybe we should be demanding a bit more off the back of that move because I know (especially for lads like you) that was a massive sacrifice to make and just maybe we have a right to say “Well come on then, you said about moving forward and doing something different......so let’s f***ing move forward and do something different” 

 

 

[WILF 46,608]

1 hour ago, gnasher16 said:

Good for you....i did look into all that Fantasy Football caper as i thought it would be a nice little interest rather than losing my dough betting on games ....but it was all a bit time consuming and a little bit more involved than id anticipated.....i keep an eye on the leagues abroad i know Monaco havent started well but like you say beyond the top couple of sides im not sure its the strongest league..... i heard through the grapevine that Toulouse have offered Wilf off here a family size Buche de Noel if he takes up the holding midfielders role before Xmas 

I never had the engine for mid field when I was 25 never mind now !......I’d be the oldest 17 stone sub in the world ! Lol 

 

[THE STIFFMEISTER 15,696]

5 hours ago, sid g said:

once cloughie got him on the right track he turned out a decent player for a few seasons fast , yes he played on the wing still see him about he was asst  manager to martin o`neil @ a few clubs .. 

He was with Steve Clarke at Celtic with O’Neill , I remember o neill telling a story about how Brian clough had said to him “ Irishman , you may think your good in that team but you’ve only got one job , give him the ball” 

and pointed at John Robertson 

[gnasher16 30,025]

21 hours ago, WILF said:

Well, given all the chat of late about our form and all that (which frankly isn’t something new to the likes of us and wouldn’t have been that big a deal at the old gaff) I’m sort of saying “hold it, we have been sold a pup here”

I have been chatting with a few pals along the lines of:

We moved, I understood the logic behind the sales pitch.....move the club forward and all that and based on that I was for it as you probably remember......I get it, that’s where modern sport is going.

But, now I’m thinking “hold on, this is what we have always been served up and we could have done this at home”

I have not been to the new place yet, I have been going non league when I have been over but I have to admit I’m not that worried about it.......obviously my boy really wants to go to the flash new stadium and all that so I will take him when we feel like it but other than that.

I know I wouldn’t feel like that if we still at home, I’d be on the train and down the hammers when I’m over instead of up East Thurrock Unt 

A few of my pals seem to like it but it’s more company director office boys getting on the piss for the day away from the old woman and reciting lines from Football Factory when in real life they wouldn’t say boo to a goose.......f**k all that, not a bit of me.

I just want to go to my football, have some crap out of an old cafe, strong cup of tea, watch the game and go home all amongst fellow hammers fans.
 

Its a hard one mate, as a hammers fan (imho) its sort of unspoken rules that you never expect too much, don’t get carried away, take your ups with your downs, don’t crack on like a silly Man City fan talking about winning leagues and top 4 and all that old malarkey.......you just don’t do it because it’s embarrassing.

But maybe we should be demanding a bit more off the back of that move because I know (especially for lads like you) that was a massive sacrifice to make and just maybe we have a right to say “Well come on then, you said about moving forward and doing something different......so let’s f***ing move forward and do something different” 

 

 

We probably had the chat about it at the time mate and i can only repeat what i said then i never wanted the move.....and the reason i never wanted the move is because i think we are a unique football club with a unique fanbase ( ok we all think that )....we are not a very demanding bunch,football to my generation of regular 25+ game per season West Ham fans is more about traditions and togetherness than finishing top 10 or nicking a European place etc.....its about the day itself and the rituals of match day and the whole togetherness feeling that Upton Park gave us.....i knew that would be lost,at least for my remaining time as a fan anyway.

But yes i totally get why we moved from a sporting and business point of view......we had to really if you want to compete with the big boys.....but truth be told i dont really want to compete with the big boys.....your last paragraph is the perfect example of how a lot of people who wanted the move now feel,and again,not to say " i told you so ".....but i knew it would be like this and by starting to " demand a bit more " as you say.....we then become the same as other clubs caught up in the madness of modern football politics.....i love my West Ham just the way it was Wilf,the characters,the camaraderie,the laughs,the tears,the local players you can be proud of and just generally saying this is " My Club "....and im not sure it is my club anymore the move turned me from a West Ham fan to a West Ham customer.

Wilf do you remember Gary the chap who sold the Over Land & Sea Fanzine his pitch use to be by the railing between the Boleyn pub and the ground itself....he did some kind of interview thats on Youtube he makes the points im trying to make here perfectly its a really nice interview i,ll try and find it later i think you,ll be able to relate to it.

Edited November 22, 2019 by gnasher16

[gnasher16 30,025]

21 hours ago, WILF said:

I never had the engine for mid field when I was 25 never mind now !......I’d be the oldest 17 stone sub in the world ! Lol 

 

Its only the French league mate you,ll be fine