Unfortunately I’m not old enough to remember the 1980 FA Cup final. Neither was I born for 1964 FA Cup final, the 1965 European Cup final or in fact, the 1966 World Cup Final.
But I do know what John Lyall and Ron Greenwood mean to us, as West Ham fans.
Being at the 2006 FA Cup Semi-Final, shortly after the passing of Johan Lyall, and joining in with the singing “Johnny Lyall’s claret & blue army” during the ‘minutes silence’ was all I needed bring home exactly what he means to our club. I can’t imagine how emotional it was for the fans there who actually saw him at the helm. That moment was not lost on me.
Unfortunately, Sullivan, Gold and Brady seem to have forgotten how important these individuals are to us. And it’s a disgrace. The treatment of the families was appalling.
To revoke the boxes is one thing, to revoke the season tickets is another, not to tell them is disgusting (article from Guardian, here) – all the while letting Terence Brown worm his way back into the club. If ever there was a case for badly aligned priorities this is it.
Let us not forget, this also comes hand in hand with the removal of all references to the Bobby Moore Fund at the ground, including the previously ‘permanent’ memorial Bobby and the retired No.6 shirt. Let us not forget withdrawing significant financial support to the fund by not playing the Bobby Moore Cup any more.
I may not be old enough to have ever seen any of these people alive and at the club, but I’m certainly old enough to know that forgetting them is insult to not just the families but the fans too.
This is from a mate, “We are selling Matchday Heritage Experience by using Lyall & Greenwood’s good names to inspire supporters to part with their hard earned and pay for hospitality tickets in the L&G suites. If Manchester United wanted a Rooney suite they would have to pay image rights to use his name. We don’t pay L&G’s family image rights. Therefore the tickets are a drop in the ocean of what we owe them for the use of their names. And that not to even mention what we owe them for the legacies they left behind. ”
We’ll move to the Olympic Stadium and we won’t take any history with us.
Sullivan, Gold and Brady I suggest you take a read of this and consider it when making your next disrespectful decision.
I have vague memories of ’75 but I certainly remember ’80 and this is a bloody travesty.
It’s wrong on so many levels that I cannot begin to put my anger into proper thoughts on paper so to speak.
As fans we really need to speak up on this, and speak loud. We can’t just keep bending over and taking it from the Porn Barons. So they saved us from “extinction” well was it worth it if they are going to rip the heart out of the club and turn us into a shadow of our former selves? I think not.
They need to be reminded that they are only “Landlords” of the West Ham name and tradition because they can never own us, not in spirit and passion and that is what we need to show them now and let them know that they can’t continue to strip all that is good out of the club without any backlash.
Claret & Blue Army, it’s time to rally the troops and let the enemy know that we are coming loud and proud and that we wont go down without a bloody big fight.
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“Johnny Lyall’s claret and blue army, (the original)”. What followed was, Forest adding the clapping, which completely knackered the chant.
Away teams dreaded coming to Upton Park for an evening game when three sides of the ground chanted it, one after the other, without any poxy clapping!!
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as a twelve year old i was lucky enough to attend the 1980 cup final, it is with out a doubt the best day of my life. all thanks to the great managing of john lyall. i don’t really rememeber the ron greenwood era, but i know my club and i know how much both of these gentlemen mean to the fans. i find the treatment of their families disgusting and disrespectful. we as fans need to let sugo know just how we feel about their treatment.
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Well said. And I think your mate got it spot on. Putting all the nostalgia to one side, the royalties and image rights owed to their families (and I’m not suggesting they should or even want to be paid) for the use of their “brands” far outweighs the cost of any season tickets.
Now, put the legacies they left behind in the mix and tell me…. were they not worth a few season tickets?
Appalling. Genuinely shocked by this news
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Yeh, he nailed it
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@Andy … saw my first home game at the start of the 80/81 season as a wee skool kid & every league home game that season. indeed, there was a roar & passion when singing “johnny lyall’s claret n blue army” which went on for ages. far more singing than silence. then again we had a team that made u wanna sing back then, proper terraces & devo, brooking, bonds, cross & lil geoff pike bossin’ midfield.
where’d i leave my time machine? tho ill be back before fat sammy lee cheats us outta the league cup replay ;(
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I am ashamed of what is being done in the name of the club I have loved sice I was eight years old. I do well remember Ron Greenwood, John Lyall and many other true “gentlemen” associated with us. I wont remember the porn kings and try to forget that our buy out has been funded by the sale of sex aids and other things that must have these gentlemen of our past turning in their graves.
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