One of the most viral images of the Premier League came from the London Stadium in recent weeks, where Sir Trevor Brooking sat alone in the executive box at the London Stadium following the unsavoury scenes in the 3-0 defeat against Burnley.
The likes of David Gold and David Sullivan were all forced to leave early due to safety concerns, as fans vented their frustration with widespread protests towards the board- and a number of fans also invaded the field of play.
That was three weeks ago and West Ham will hope that the temperature around the club has cooled significantly heading into this weekend’s stern relegation showdown with Southampton, the side just one point and one position below the Hammers in the stadium.
Ahead of the crunch-tie against the Saints, Brooking has written a piece for The Evening Standard where he made his feelings on the situation clear and urged the fans to put their grievances aside to help save the club from relegation.
“A number of people have asked me how I felt sitting in the directors’ box at the end of the last home game against Burnley. The newspapers all published the photograph of me sitting alone, surrounded by empty seats. I would summarise my emotions in just three words: shock, sadness and frustration.”
“This was all taking place while the game was going on, and after the team had gone a goal down with 25 minutes to play. It meant that the players’ focus, energy and concentration was drained, leaving them with no chance of recovering the deficit in a match in which – until the pitch invasion – we still had a chance of getting a result from.”
“I always believe fans should be entitled to air their views. If they want to protest, yes, that is their right. But it should not be done when it can adversely affect the performances of Mark Noble and his team-mates.”
“I said the day after the Burnley game that any supporters who don’t feel they can back the team for 90 minutes should stay away for the time being – and I stand by that. If you are a genuine West Ham fan, then any grievance or issue has to be put to one side while the team are trying to battle clear of the bottom three.”
