OPINION
What a difference nine months can make. When those West Ham fans ran on to the pitch in the 3-0 defeat against Burnley back in April, the atmosphere inside the London Stadium could not have been more toxic. Fans were furious, players were lacklustre, and the board seemed completely uninterested. Since those protests, however, things have turned around dramatically. The club have spent big, brought in Manuel Pellegrini, and look as if they could realistically make European football by finishing seventh. Obviously, it is never nice to see fans enter the field of play with the kind of belligerence that was on display that day, and in no way is it condonable, but it has to be said that if it was the catalyst for a reevaluation from those at the top, then £100,000 is a small price to pay for the progress that has already been made. The issue the FA might have is that this could create a precedent for other disgruntled fans of clubs that are being run poorly. The question is whether or not that kind of power to the people approach is something that the FA want to avoid or not. Truthfully, they won’t want fans acting in the manner that the minority of Hammers’ fans that day, but more input from passionate supporters, harnessed in the right way, can only be a good thing.
Forever West Ham have gathered some of the best tweets below:
https://twitter.com/tony_allum/status/1087706842409693184
https://twitter.com/LeePwhufc/status/1087705973962231808
What I don't understand is that pitch invasions have happened quite often in various grounds in the past. Why do they never get any attention or those clubs get fined? Then when it's west ham and literally three people come onto the pitch, we get investigated and fined!
— WB ⚒ (@WalsB_irons) January 22, 2019
https://twitter.com/londonmike1964/status/1087707745372000262
https://twitter.com/RogerRaja100/status/1087709588651237379
Good investment, made us sign Felipe Anderson and recruit Pellegrini.
— James (@JameswhufcJones) January 22, 2019
https://twitter.com/jackcwhu99/status/1087708998630031365
