West Ham

[Malinga the Swinga]

Good to see the old girl celebrating her 100th birthday at the West Ham game. Sitting in the stand wearing her a West Ham top, she didn't look a day over 90!

[Bazzas right boot]

If sky doubled their deal we could compete with lower level Championship, our clubs would hold onto players, players would develop better, product would improve.

 

Difficult to improve when players can treble their salary a few hundred miles away at almost any club.

 

Shame, so much potential in Scotland, not only in football, but we have accepted our role as second best very well and quite frankly we deserve nothing else.

[bertracoon]

Who the **** is Bianca Westwood?

[RealMaroonCF]

Celtic fans up in arms .... Paulo says it's West Ham who glue TBFITW

 

Oh oh

[TNCASTLE]

I'm starting to think that if we don't find a way to do this then the game will wither and die up here. In any decent professional sense anyway.

I have followed Hearts for more than 50 years. I have witnessed the game wither and die here. It seems to me that the complete demise is coming sooner than later. What do we do then?

It seems to me that either a reorganisation of all the clubs as amalgamations and JV's to create about 10 teams as a super league leaving OF intact. You can look at the geography and demographics to see the teams ( eg Central Scotland as Motherwell, Falkirk, Stenhousemuir, East Stirling, Hamilton, Albion Rovers), I won't go into the Edinburgh structure because of tribal responses. The general approach is Korea, Japan, Australia ( note cross border with an NZ team in ASL). Western Sydney used to be a glut of tribal ethnic teams of "Croatia" , "Olympic" ( Greek). The Wanderers are now one of the biggest and best supported teams, the ethnicity has withered and died by design.

OR take our club stand alone out of the mire that is the dying Scottish Football. I cannot see for a moment why we can't be a Cardiff City or Swansea City. Modern day transport makes away days quite feasible.

What we can't do is go on like this, I mean can we?

There IS a path into the English leagues, albeit best scenario League 2. A huge ground swell of support would be needed for anything to happen. It also seems to me that the demise is forcing our hands here.

Finally even Celtic "only" attracted 47,000 for their match v Aberdeen where quite recently they would have had 60,000 and many outside. This I think is because they really are being dragged into this demise also with the least competitive team in my memory. This is actually frightening, a bit like global warming, slowly but surely we are all ****ed...,

So is it to be the usual inaction? Money must come in to our game by a completely new league structure OR we go where the money is.

I am regularly accused of "not living here" although I am in Scotland for matches 3 times a year, sometimes more. You would need to live on the Moon not to see the obvious here, indeed "outside" gives me a better view.

Rant over for now.

[Unknown user]

I have followed Hearts for more than 50 years. I have witnessed the game wither and die here. It seems to me that the complete demise is coming sooner than later. What do we do then?

It seems to me that either a reorganisation of all the clubs as amalgamations and JV's to create about 10 teams as a super league leaving OF intact. You can look at the geography and demographics to see the teams ( eg Central Scotland as Motherwell, Falkirk, Stenhousemuir, East Stirling, Hamilton, Albion Rovers), I won't go into the Edinburgh structure because of tribal responses. The general approach is Korea, Japan, Australia ( note cross border with an NZ team in ASL). Western Sydney used to be a glut of tribal ethnic teams of "Croatia" , "Olympic" ( Greek). The Wanderers are now one of the biggest and best supported teams, the ethnicity has withered and died by design.

OR take our club stand alone out of the mire that is the dying Scottish Football. I cannot see for a moment why we can't be a Cardiff City or Swansea City. Modern day transport makes away days quite feasible.

What we can't do is go on like this, I mean can we?

There IS a path into the English leagues, albeit best scenario League 2. A huge ground swell of support would be needed for anything to happen. It also seems to me that the demise is forcing our hands here.

Finally even Celtic "only" attracted 47,000 for their match v Aberdeen where quite recently they would have had 60,000 and many outside. This I think is because they really are being dragged into this demise also with the least competitive team in my memory. This is actually frightening, a bit like global warming, slowly but surely we are all messed...,

So is it to be the usual inaction? Money must come in to our game by a completely new league structure OR we go where the money is.

I am regularly accused of "not living here" although I am in Scotland for matches 3 times a year, sometimes more. You would need to live on the Moon not to see the obvious here, indeed "outside" gives me a better view.

Rant over for now.

I'd rather keep our souls than drop our knickers for English gold.

 

We're a Scottish team, we should be playing in a Scottish league

[JyTees]

I have followed Hearts for more than 50 years. I have witnessed the game wither and die here. It seems to me that the complete demise is coming sooner than later. What do we do then?

It seems to me that either a reorganisation of all the clubs as amalgamations and JV's to create about 10 teams as a super league leaving OF intact. You can look at the geography and demographics to see the teams ( eg Central Scotland as Motherwell, Falkirk, Stenhousemuir, East Stirling, Hamilton, Albion Rovers), I won't go into the Edinburgh structure because of tribal responses. The general approach is Korea, Japan, Australia ( note cross border with an NZ team in ASL). Western Sydney used to be a glut of tribal ethnic teams of "Croatia" , "Olympic" ( Greek). The Wanderers are now one of the biggest and best supported teams, the ethnicity has withered and died by design.

OR take our club stand alone out of the mire that is the dying Scottish Football. I cannot see for a moment why we can't be a Cardiff City or Swansea City. Modern day transport makes away days quite feasible.

What we can't do is go on like this, I mean can we?

There IS a path into the English leagues, albeit best scenario League 2. A huge ground swell of support would be needed for anything to happen. It also seems to me that the demise is forcing our hands here.

Finally even Celtic "only" attracted 47,000 for their match v Aberdeen where quite recently they would have had 60,000 and many outside. This I think is because they really are being dragged into this demise also with the least competitive team in my memory. This is actually frightening, a bit like global warming, slowly but surely we are all messed...,

So is it to be the usual inaction? Money must come in to our game by a completely new league structure OR we go where the money is.

I am regularly accused of "not living here" although I am in Scotland for matches 3 times a year, sometimes more. You would need to live on the Moon not to see the obvious here, indeed "outside" gives me a better view.

Rant over for now.

Let me guess. Amalgamate with the Lochend tramps? Play in maroon and green? Heart of Hibernian.

 

I feel sick.

[TNCASTLE]

They weren't relegated, but that aside no, I don't personally think it would be wonderful for a Scottish team to move to England at all.

I don't believe it would be anywhere near as simple as you say either or there would surely be a precedence set by

 

Yes it is not simple, but there is a clear path ( or was recently). I am going to ask a colleague to Blog it because he is better at it than me. We did spend a fair few quid in establishing the possibility including a meeting in England with an FA executive.

It is an interesting story that I have wanted to reveal for some time. This is why am a "regular" on JKB to feel out the level of tribalism existing in modern times.

What I do know is that sooner or later someone will jump ship in Scotland. Our club is the best equipped to do this for a large number of reasons. Testicular fortitude abounding is a prerequisite however.

[Kinkster]

That was an embarrassment, feel sorry for the real Hammers fans. That's what selling your soul to Murdoch looks like.

[ivanhoe]

That was an embarrassment, feel sorry for the real Hammers fans. That's what selling your soul to Murdoch looks like.

Yeah clearly a sky production that took all the spontaneity out of the occasion.

 

A wee lap of honour and a welcome back to old favourites was all that was needed.

 

Loud PA systems, fireworks and match day presenters are the curse of modern football.

[bertracoon]

They weren't relegated, but that aside no, I don't personally think it would be wonderful for a Scottish team to move to England at all.

I don't believe it would be anywhere near as simple as you say either or there would surely be a precedence set by

 

Yes it is not simple, but there is a clear path ( or was recently). I am going to ask a colleague to Blog it because he is better at it than me. We did spend a fair few quid in establishing the possibility including a meeting in England with an FA executive.

It is an interesting story that I have wanted to reveal for some time. This is why am a "regular" on JKB to feel out the level of tribalism existing in modern times.

What I do know is that sooner or later someone will jump ship in Scotland. Our club is the best equipped to do this for a large number of reasons. Testicular fortitude abounding is a prerequisite however.

You're howling at the moon pal. Absolute non-starter. English football does not want any part of the Old Firm and certainly do not need the rest of us. It's not in the interests of either the FA or any individual club to allow it. You can bang on about Swansea and Cardiff and Wrexham all you want but you're talking about completely different eras. As a Hearts fan of 25 years I have no desire to set the club off on a ridiculous trip through the lower leagues of England even if it were possible.

 

Yes, playing the same teams 4 times a year isn't ideal and needs something done to change the league set-up here but jumping ship to England simply isn't a viable or reasonable option.

[Unknown user]

I'd just like to add that I'd actively do everything I could to campaign against Hearts moving to the English leagues if it looked like we were thinking of it.

 

It's nothing to do with my testicles either!

[151]

Couldn't help but fall in love with West Ham a bit tonight. I've never even remotely liked any English team before (i admire the Palace fans passion), i've been to a Chelsea game and also been to a Leeds game, but something about the passion tonight got me gripped. I feel sorry for the West Ham fans moving from their home - im so glad we are staying at Tynie.

[Big Slim Stylee]

Couldn't help but fall in love with West Ham a bit tonight. I've never even remotely liked any English team before (i admire the Palace fans passion), i've been to a Chelsea game and also been to a Leeds game, but something about the passion tonight got me gripped. I feel sorry for the West Ham fans moving from their home - im so glad we are staying at Tynie.

 

Have to be honest was in bits watching that:(  Couple of mates there tonight for the last time....they're not happy bunnies about moving at all.

[Billy Walsh]

Anyone else find it odd how Upton Park never got the send off that this new 'Boleyn Ground' got?

[Dusk_Till_Dawn]

Laughable, sentimental pish.

 

West Ham as a club is full of scum and Upton Park was and is an alright PL ground, no more than that.

[The Treasurer]

Laughable, sentimental pish.

 

West Ham as a club is full of scum and Upton Park was and is an alright PL ground, no more than that.

Yesterday showed that you're clearly in the minority with that view

[Notbrainwashed]

Really felt it was over the top last night.  Not for the fans, you understand - I am sure that they wanted a big send-off for the ground.  But, to televise the whole thing?  Why?  Was there this much fuss when any other football team moved to a new ground?

[Nookie Bear]

Really felt it was over the top last night.  Not for the fans, you understand - I am sure that they wanted a big send-off for the ground.  But, to televise the whole thing?  Why?  Was there this much fuss when any other football team moved to a new ground?

 

It was way over the top but is it not the biggest groundmove since Sky Sports went into overkill on the EPL coverage ?

 

Highbury was some time ago, as was Maine Road.

 

West Ham really are the media darlings right now but Tottenham leaving WHL will be even more unbearable.

[Jamhammer]

It was funny watching all the stuff after the game and feeling a wee bit emotional when they showed the likes of Bobby Moore and Sir Trev, players I've adored for most of my life but it was only when they showed a Bryan "Pop" Robson goal that I got teary. He was my first football hero, a great striker.

 

Anyone who thinks the ground is full of scum has never been there. When you're young and feel like a weirdo who doesn't dress like anyone else or listen to the same music as anyone else to find somewhere you belong is an incredible thing. 

 

40 odd years a fan. Here's to the next 40.

 

COYI

[Dusk_Till_Dawn]

Yesterday showed that you're clearly in the minority with that view

 

 

It showed quite the opposite.

[Unknown user]

 

It showed quite the opposite.

You honestly believe "West Ham as a club is full of scum" is the majority view?

 

Mon noo!

[The Treasurer]

It was funny watching all the stuff after the game and feeling a wee bit emotional when they showed the likes of Bobby Moore and Sir Trev, players I've adored for most of my life but it was only when they showed a Bryan "Pop" Robson goal that I got teary. He was my first football hero, a great striker.

 

Anyone who thinks the ground is full of scum has never been there. When you're young and feel like a weirdo who doesn't dress like anyone else or listen to the same music as anyone else to find somewhere you belong is an incredible thing. 

 

40 odd years a fan. Here's to the next 40.

 

COYI

I'd always had a soft spot for West Ham but it was watching Pop Robson that really confirmed them as my "other team"