West Ham got their revenge

At the start of the 2011/12 season, a group of us gathered in a Sydney pub, dismissing the disappointment of being relegated and buoyed by the prospect of routing the Championship.

The first game was a televised fixture against Cardiff City. The match was earmarked as one of the toughest of the campaign, and a good gauge of the competition.

The Bluebirds were seen as an improving side, and were a dangerous team which had finished in the play-off in the previous two seasons.

The ensuing performance and the last minute loss did everything to dampen spirits.

Fast-forward two seasons, and the fixture fairies pitted the two teams against each other, back at the Boleyn for the big curtain raiser.

Five of Saturday’s squad were involved in the reverse fixture, with seven in total still at the club who were involved in the 0-1 defeat.

Those who played their part in both include Mark Noble, Kevin Nolan and Winston Reid, which is testament to their success and ability to make the step from Championship to Premiership.

What also remained was the stoic support of the hard-core Sydney Hammers’ fans Down Under, who had gathered to watch the game at midnight.

And as if responding to the cacophony of cheers and celebrations 10,500 miles or so away, West Ham actually turned in an assured, professional performance, displaying a measure of just how far the team seems to have come.

By contrast to 2011, the result did everything to justify the feel good factor around the club, and the air of confidence we are moving forward into the season with.