I’ll admit it I still bear a grudge against Gold and Sullivan for the horrific appointment of Avram Grant which effectively signed our Premier League death warrant. The decision to give that man the reins at Upton Park still baffles me and its one I’ve given up trying to understand.
I think it’s fair to say amongst the Irons faithful that after that fateful day at the DW that the stock of Gold & Sullivan was at an all-time low. Football however is a transient game and four months on and the perception of in particular David Gold has changed immeasurably. He now cuts the figure of the father of West Ham United.
The way he interacts with fans on Twitter is commendable; how many other chairmen would be willing to discuss important club matters directly with the fans? Whether its issues concerning the Olympic Stadium or the potential controversial signing of a certain El Hadji-Diouf; it would appear Mr Gold doesn’t shy away from the topics which are on the collective minds of West Ham’s long suffering fans.
Whilst the majority of owners up and down the land are businessmen first and fans second (if at all) it’s easy to see that DG cares deeply about the fortunes of our club. Recently David did an interview on TalkSport and he spoke passionately about the club and how we’ve under-achieved for far too long and how for a club with the 8th largest fan-base in England we should’ve been performing to a far higher standard over the years. He spoke with such angst about how frustrating the last few seasons have been and with such genuine optimism about the club realising its true potential upon moving to the Olympic Stadium.
At the start of this article I had a pop at Mr Gold for the appointment of Avram Grant, so it’s only fair that I praise the appointment of Big Sam. When Sam was first linked with the job I like a lot of other fans wasn’t interested because his style and tactics aren’t exactly succinct with the ‘West Ham way’ and whilst they may not be; we are sitting 2nd in the league at the half-way stage of the season and only a point from the summit. Whether you’re a fan of Sam’s style or a stickler for the club’s traditions it must be said that his appointment has so far been an inspired one.
The next big test for David Gold’s improving popularity is the January transfer window…can we keep hold of key playing personnel such of Tomkins and Noble who seem to be the subject of constant transfer speculation? Will Sam be backed to bring in whomever he feels will get us over the line and back into the promised land? I guess we’ll find out the answer to that next month.
For now though it would appear that redemption is looming in 2012.
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