A war zone; surrounded by an army of claret and blue, just waiting to be ousted as the spy behind enemy lines. This was my expectation as I entered The Bobby Moore Stand at London Stadium. However, the hard-men of East London bitterly disappointed my need for excitement as the atmosphere sat a lowly as West Ham in the Premier League table.
To add some context, as a Liverpool fan who does not hold a season ticket, getting the opportunity to watch the reds is as rare as an Everton win at Anfield; it just doesn’t happen. Thus, when I saw the chance to witness a part of Liverpool’s greatest season in 30 years, I jumped at the opportunity.
As I strolled towards the magnificent structure that is London Stadium with the bitter taste of a paying £10 for a burger still in my mouth, there was an air of resignation, an expectation of disappointment amongst all who wore claret and blue. Murmurs of “I’d take a 3-0” and “I just don’t want to be embarrassed” plagued the pre-match conversation.
Embed from Getty Images IMAGE: Players surrounding referee Jon Moss during West Ham’s 2-0 defeat to LiverpoolThe aura of negativity that surrounded the pubs and bars outside the ground spilled into London Stadium creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a doctor’s waiting room. Initially, I was bemused by the stunning silence that filled the ground, however, as I experienced my first few moments of the old Olympic Stadium I encountered the real issues with West Ham United.
The most glaring issue is that view of the pitch is the equivalent of watching your television through the wrong end of a telescope. The empty void that it created caused a complete disconnect between myself and what was happening on the pitch. One older gentleman sat to my right even brought his own binoculars to try and see over the chasm that divided the fans from the players.
The player/fan divide was made even more evident with the response the team received upon entering the pitch. There was little to no noise made upon the team announcements and even the “I’m forever blowing bubbles” anthem was sung with as much enthusiasm as a teenage boy performing karaoke with his family.
However, the most damning aspect of my whole trip to West Ham was the group of supporters sat just five seats to my left. It wasn’t the fact that they were eating popcorn, or that they made the awful decision to wear a half-and-half scarf. It is not even that they insisted on recording every set-piece throughout the whole game. It was the fact that like myself they were not West Ham supporters but were actually openly supporting Liverpool.
As I took a closer look around me it was clear that they were not alone, I wasn’t amongst the ‘hard-men of East London’, I wasn’t even amongst fans of the Hammers. I was surrounded by people who just like me wondered onto the club website, booked tickets and sat and supported the opposition, all the while being welcomed to do so.
An adjustment period to a new stadium can be accepted, the distance between the fans and the pitch can be looked over, however, having rivals supporters in the home end diluting the atmosphere is unforgivable and an issue that West Ham must act upon rapidly.
Brandon Russell: Sports News 