With West Ham fans busily debating who will be crowned Hammer of the year for the 2011/12 season there is one front runner in my mind who is streets above the rest.
David Gold has had by no means an easy start to his co-ownership of his childhood club. Relegation to the Championship, a deepening financial crisis and inconsistent performances from his manager and first team squad have made for a stressful time at the helm for the local born millionaire.
How has David Gold responded to all these trials and tribulations?
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Investment
Both David’s have dipped deep into their own personal fortunes to supply the manager with his targets this season, this has provided Big Sam with some quality signings that have enabled West Ham to still be in the race for promotion. Previous owners have either spent the clubs money or simply raped the club of all its profits
from the sales of our terrace heroes.
Interaction with fans
David Gold leads the way for the modern chairman with a very active Twitter account.
I personally have asked a few questions of our chairman and he has responded on several occasions. This is not an isolated incident, Gold is constantly talking to the fans whether it be thanking them for their support or setting someone straight who is
giving his Hammers a hard time.
To give that much of your day over to talking with the average supporter the chairman has set the standard for how a football team should be run.
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Ill health
Let’s not forget that it was only last year that David Gold was in a serious condition in hospital with septicaemia. Less than a month later he was back in the stands home and away supporting his beloved Hammers.
David Gold may not be a goal scoring hero on the pitch but the Stepney born businessman could well become a club legend in his own right if he can take our great club to a new level and continue to involve the fans in how the club is run.
Disagree let me know @Dearemonster on twitter
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Would agree with all you said if he wasn’t trying to get rid of our home.
Good shout and he’s going to give a new generation a top (Olympic) stadium to start a new chapter & God knows we need it! It will break all our hearts to leave the Boleyn but maybe we should have stayed at the Hermit or Memorial ground???? COYI
I saw David gold in traffic on the way to the Bristol city game and he had dropped his window and had a little chat with me top bloke doing a good job I would rather we expanded upton park tho
I agree, he seems like a good guy but you know, I don’t think it’s the act of moving ground that’s the whole issue. It’s selling up the stadium and not owning the new ground (presumably the OS?). It just leaves a pretty bad taste that certain individuals would stand to potentially make significant profit from such a move (through the sale of the club post-move and coincidentally the re-development of the Boleyn site).
If someone can convince me that all funds generated from the move would be reinvested in the playing squad/youth development/training facilities then it might make me feel better. Or if anyone can explain why not owning your own ground makes sense, i feel a few more people might buy in to it. In line with your thread maybe I should just ask DG on twitter, as you say, he’s not frightened of dialogue with the fans.
Interesting proposal.
DG has definately WHUFC’s interests at heart, and will always be appreciated for it.
Moving to the OS is the ONLY way to compete with the Oligarch/tyrant/royalty/billionaire owners of our competitors…
martin
to be fair though the only way to make a big profit is to make west ham a more successful, financially viable club before selling it
He;s already confirmed that every single penny we get from seling upton park will be spent eithe rpaying off existing debt, or on the squad
You can’t help but like David Gold and I’m sure he has West Ham’s best interests at heart, but since the 2 David’s have taken over, from a football side of things it’s been a total disaster…
From the treatment of Zola, the appointment of Grant to subsequent relegation..
If Allardyce should fail to get us promoted, it will add to the list of disastrous managerial decisions
If they had to report to someone else, they would have got the sack long before now..
I appreciate his effort and am happy for him to continue, but lets be honest it’s not been great so far..