On the 16th November 1996 at the age of 10 my dad took me to my first West Ham match. We would watch games on the TV and I had seen my local team play, but this was going to be a totally new experience.
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As my Dad was an avid West Ham and a Northern Hammer it was only right that I would follow in his foot steps, and not to mention Julian Dicks was my favourite player at the time and is my favourite Hammer player ever!! This was going to be my first time to see him in action, it was exciting times!!
Living up north in a small town called Carlisle it was hard for me and my Dad to get down to London for any home West Ham games so away games up north were my only real opportunity as a young boy.
West Ham were playing Newcastle United at St James’ Park and me and my Dad were actually going to be there as a late birthday present.
The team: Subs:
GK Ludo Miklosko Paulo Futre
Tim Breacker Frank Lampard
Keith Rowland Peter Shilton
Stephen Potts Mark Bowen
Slaven Bilic Kenny Brown
Julian Dicks
Ian Bishop
Iain Dowie
Florin Raducioiu
John Moncur
Michael Hughes
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The atmosphere in the stadium was electric and although the Hammers were as far north as they were going to get in their Premier League fixtures, they had a strong following and as usual were the louder supporters throughout most of the game.
The game ended in a 1-1 draw with Rowland scoring in the first half which would prove to be his only league goal in all his appearances for the club. I can remember being excited that West Ham were going to win in the first ever game that I had attended, but Newcastle drew level in the closing minutes of the game in what had been a tense match including four yellow cards given to West Ham in a fraught game.
The result may not have been as positive as I had believed it would be for most of the match, but I would have been bitterly disappointed if the game had been a loss. We filtered out of the stadium begrudgingly along with the other fans imagining what easily could have been. I had enjoyed my day and the chance to see Harry Redknapp and some if the clubs greats in action.
The return game at Upton Park later in the season also resulted in a draw, with the end of the season seeing Newcastle in 2nd and West Ham in a disappointing 14th place.
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I have my tickets booked for the West Ham vs Newcastle game on the 11th November and I am hoping for a win this season rather than a draw. I am sure there will be the same great atmosphere and ecstatic chants of “I’m forever blowing bubbles” and I am looking forward to seeing Nolan and Carroll’s performances against their past club and previous West Ham manager Alan Pardew directing a team against us. Hopefully I will be able to report a more positive result 16 years on!
Carl Bateson
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