Takeover rumours

[Dr Butler]

I cannot think of any football manager past or present who has ever done anything as damaging to his club as walking out without warning five days before the start of a season.   That was pure unadulterated spite.

maximum damage to the club and maximum media effect for him.....the odious toad.

UTV
The Doc

[fbriai]

It pisses me off the number of times I see people wearing Claret & Blue here, only to discover that it is West Ham.

[dave.woodhall]

It pisses me off the number of times I see people wearing Claret & Blue here, only to discover that it is West Ham.

I have a theory on that, and you know what I think the biggest influence for West Ham is on the continent (and particularly Italy for some reason)?

[eastie]

I cannot think of any football manager past or present who has ever done anything as damaging to his club as walking out without warning five days before the start of a season.   That was pure unadulterated spite.

Not so sure it was pre- planned , more than likely something happened to top him over the edge and he'd had enough - he said at the time something  like they no longer shared the same vision for the club - one day he may reveal what actually happened .

[eastie]

It pisses me off the number of times I see people wearing Claret & Blue here, only to discover that it is West Ham.

I have a theory on that, and you know what I think the biggest influence for West Ham is on the continent (and particularly Italy for some reason)?

Zola and di canio both have west ham links - may have picked up a few followers as a result.

[fbriai]

It pisses me off the number of times I see people wearing Claret & Blue here, only to discover that it is West Ham.

I have a theory on that, and you know what I think the biggest influence for West Ham is on the continent (and particularly Italy for some reason)?

Go on, Dave. Let's hear it!

[Toronto Villa]

It pisses me off the number of times I see people wearing Claret & Blue here, only to discover that it is West Ham.

It always pissed me off as a kid when I got a birthday card from my mum or aunt to find Billy Bonds or Alvin Martin on the front.

[Jimbo]

Hooliganism?

[dave.woodhall]

It pisses me off the number of times I see people wearing Claret & Blue here, only to discover that it is West Ham.

I have a theory on that, and you know what I think the biggest influence for West Ham is on the continent (and particularly Italy for some reason)?

Go on, Dave. Let's hear it!

The Cockney Rejects. Loads of wannabe hooligans/skinheads/lads love all that East End violence mythology bollocks. I've worked at big punk gigs where about 90% of the skins have been foreign.

[fbriai]

It pisses me off the number of times I see people wearing Claret & Blue here, only to discover that it is West Ham.

It always pissed me off as a kid when I got a birthday card from my mum or aunt to find Billy Bonds or Alvin Martin on the front.

Ha ha! Or Geoff Pike!

That happened a lot!

[fbriai]

It pisses me off the number of times I see people wearing Claret & Blue here, only to discover that it is West Ham.

I have a theory on that, and you know what I think the biggest influence for West Ham is on the continent (and particularly Italy for some reason)?

Go on, Dave. Let's hear it!

The Cockney Rejects. Loads of wannabe hooligans/skinheads/lads love all that East End violence mythology bollocks. I've worked at big punk gigs where about 90% of the skins have been foreign.

Very interesting, Dave.

I see a lot of lads wearing the colours who would be too young to have been influenced by that, but I can well imagine their dad's being into it.

[dave.woodhall]

It pisses me off the number of times I see people wearing Claret & Blue here, only to discover that it is West Ham.

I have a theory on that, and you know what I think the biggest influence for West Ham is on the continent (and particularly Italy for some reason)?

Go on, Dave. Let's hear it!

The Cockney Rejects. Loads of wannabe hooligans/skinheads/lads love all that East End violence mythology bollocks. I've worked at big punk gigs where about 90% of the skins have been foreign.

Very interesting, Dave.

I see a lot of lads wearing the colours who would be too young to have been influenced by that, but I can well imagine their dad's being into it.

Too young? They play bigger gigs now than they ever did.

[fbriai]

It pisses me off the number of times I see people wearing Claret & Blue here, only to discover that it is West Ham.

I have a theory on that, and you know what I think the biggest influence for West Ham is on the continent (and particularly Italy for some reason)?

Go on, Dave. Let's hear it!

The Cockney Rejects. Loads of wannabe hooligans/skinheads/lads love all that East End violence mythology bollocks. I've worked at big punk gigs where about 90% of the skins have been foreign.

Very interesting, Dave.

I see a lot of lads wearing the colours who would be too young to have been influenced by that, but I can well imagine their dad's being into it.

Too young? They play bigger gigs now than they ever did.

You'll have to forgive my ignorance, Dave. I've not lived in the UK for 13 years now, so have these big cultural voids in some areas.

[pauliewalnuts]

Slight aside.

I went to see Blur play in Milan once. Years ago, 97 or so. Was surprised how many Italian kids in the audience dressed in skinhead gear. They'd clearly only heard the earlier albums. Certainly not that one where they turned into Pavement, anyway.

[dave.woodhall]

I hope this doesn't come across as ignorance, but a lot of young foreigners, especially Italians for some reason, seem to love to ape British culture, and the most extreme versions of this are violence, which to them means skinheads, which means the Rejects.