Whatever happened to this Hammers flop?

A purchase in the era of Harry Redknapp, Boogers didn’t impress very much at Upton Park after his transfer from Sparta Rotterdam in 1995. In fact, it was on just his second appearance for West Ham that Boogers got a red card for a horror tackle on Gary Neville. It was even suggested that Boogers had been bought just to injure a Manchester United player. See, all those ‘Agent Keane’ suggestions don’t seem so suspect now do they? Harry’s got form!

Boogers then had a spot of absence without leave, and a vicious rumour started that he was in a Dutch caravan park. This matter was reported in The Sun newspaper, so it seems like it wasn’t fully true. Sure enough, Bill Prosser, West Ham’s travel organiser and PA at the time had this statement to make which dashed the story:

“Marco was depressed after being sent off in his second appearance for West Ham at Old Trafford and disappeared for a few days. West Ham’s Clubcall reporter phoned me and said he was trying to find Boogers for an interview but could not reach him. He asked if I had booked any flights for him. I told him I hadn’t, but added: ‘If he has gone back to Holland, he’s probably gone by car again’. The reporter misheard me and stated on Clubcall that I had said ‘If he’s gone back to Holland, he’s probably gone to his caravan’. As you know, journalists often listen to Clubcall. Which explains why, the following day, the back page headline in The Sun was: ‘Barmy Boogers Living In A Caravan’. The legend endures and Marco Boogers never played for West Ham again. I feel a bit responsible for his misfortune.”

There you are. Rumour cleared. Boogers only played 4 games for West Ham and was shipped out on loan to FC Groningen in 1996. Despite having time left on his contract, Boogers never played for the Irons again, and finished his career at Dordrecht ’90, where he clearly had better luck – he scored 66 goals in 128 games. Nothing much has been heard about him since 2003, so if anyone wants to clear up what he’s been up to that’d be great. His self esteem can’t be brilliant after Redknapp claimed he was one of the worst players that had ever played under him and he signed him after watching clips of his play that made him seem ‘world class.’

 

Want to know where an ex-Hammer is now? Tweet me at @alwaysintune and let me know, and I’ll try and do some detective work!

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