en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/737064 Comments by RomeHammer http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/03/06/my-first-game-phil-bones/#IDComment310575134 "It was over a year before I saw us lose!" Weren't you the lucky one! Shame it hasn't happened since. Wed, 7 Mar 2012 17:07:47 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/03/06/my-first-game-phil-bones/#IDComment310575134 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/03/06/celik-mills-upton-park-bound/#IDComment309795066 Congratulatons. Tue, 6 Mar 2012 19:06:26 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/03/06/celik-mills-upton-park-bound/#IDComment309795066 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/03/05/stop-press-piquionne-joins-doncaster/#IDComment308847697 That was before some silly codgers stuffed his bank account with way too much swag! Mon, 5 Mar 2012 20:28:51 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/03/05/stop-press-piquionne-joins-doncaster/#IDComment308847697 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/03/03/my-first-west-ham-game-iain-dale/#IDComment307169419 I remember that game. It was cold too. Yes, it was a pretty dire game. Sat, 3 Mar 2012 17:19:04 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/03/03/my-first-west-ham-game-iain-dale/#IDComment307169419 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/29/down-memory-lane-fa-cup-sem-final-1980/#IDComment305559950 What a great trip down memory, and what a great side too. Yes, that team was easily worth the quid one used to pay to go and see them from the North or South Banks. Glad to be reminded too why I would put Frank Lampard in my Dream Team over Julian Dicks. I remember having to listen to the semi-final replay on short wave radio as I was out of the country at the time. The reception was horrendous, as is often the case with short wave, but it was well worth the struggle to hear it. Thu, 1 Mar 2012 16:42:43 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/29/down-memory-lane-fa-cup-sem-final-1980/#IDComment305559950 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/23/who-should-play-in-goal-against-palace/#IDComment299807513 Thanks for the highlights. Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:20:05 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/23/who-should-play-in-goal-against-palace/#IDComment299807513 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/22/you-know-youve-done-a-good-interview-when/#IDComment298980346 Well done, Iain, and keep up the good work. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:41:31 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/22/you-know-youve-done-a-good-interview-when/#IDComment298980346 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/21/in-conversation-with-david-sullivan-part-8-how-paolo-di-canio-could-be-west-ham-manager/#IDComment298034959 Thank you Iain and David for an interesting interview. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:39:22 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/21/in-conversation-with-david-sullivan-part-8-how-paolo-di-canio-could-be-west-ham-manager/#IDComment298034959 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/21/in-conversation-with-david-sullivan-part-7/#IDComment297946742 Yes, I was pleased for Johnny Spector, given that he used to get a lot of stick. It will go down in his career annals of history, but not the club's. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:50:36 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/21/in-conversation-with-david-sullivan-part-7/#IDComment297946742 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/21/in-conversation-with-david-sullivan-part-7/#IDComment297928495 A little odd that he should cite West Ham's drubbing of Man U in the League Cup last season, a Manchester team which Sullivan describes as being no more than "a semi reserve side", as one of his most memorable matches to see West Ham play in. Admittedly, it was the most memorable match from a very, very poor season, but hardly stuff for the annals of history. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:26:57 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/21/in-conversation-with-david-sullivan-part-7/#IDComment297928495 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/20/in-conversation-with-david-sullivan-part-6/#IDComment297455426 Over £30 million in total for the Tevez deal! The club really got hammered there. Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:14:17 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/20/in-conversation-with-david-sullivan-part-6/#IDComment297455426 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/18/in-conversation-with-david-sullivan-part-1-demba-ba-one-of-the-biggest-mistake-of-my-life/#IDComment296286571 Well said, AlanHants. Maybe Zola was out of his depth at the end, and unfortunately in the frenzy of the Premier League nowadays it is very hard to bed in new personnel. In days of old the Zola/Clarke team would have had time to blend, and feel their way. However, I am not sure how much say they had in the transfer policy either. Managers, once, depending on price, would have been able to pick and choose the players they wanted. I am not sure that they had the same freedom to do this. Certainly after their first season together everyone was convinced that Chelski were bound to make an offer for their services. Grant was a wrong'un from the first minute, and as you rightly state "a man who had just relegated Pompey was not a candidate to be our manager." Grant remained consistent though with the Hammers, and the fact my suspicions have been confirmed that it was David Gold, who held out against changing him means the owners helped bring on the club's relegation by first appointing the schmuck and then not taking the necessary action to get rid of him earlier. We can talk about divisions in the camp, but if the Silkman/Gold/Grant axis had not been so strong then these divisions may not have evolved, and I am convinced that we would be playing Premier League football this season. Sun, 19 Feb 2012 09:09:17 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/18/in-conversation-with-david-sullivan-part-1-demba-ba-one-of-the-biggest-mistake-of-my-life/#IDComment296286571 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/17/an-interview-for-the-football-trader/#IDComment295167548 I remember being in the South Bank and staying well after the end to give Trevor a decent sendoff. It was great that the Everton fans also gave him a rousing valediction. Pity that their team ruined the Farewell Party by beating the Hammers 1-0 that May evening. I remember later reading an interview with Trevor Brooking where he said that if Devonshire had not been out with a long term injury then he would have played on for another season. Fri, 17 Feb 2012 22:18:34 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/17/an-interview-for-the-football-trader/#IDComment295167548 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/17/an-interview-for-the-football-trader/#IDComment295140378 You could even add the great Devo, DD. I remember him being booed by our fans towards the end of a dreary 0-0 draw with Norwich in the FA Cup in 1988-89 season when both sides were doing their best to look like Wimbledon on a bad day. Devo, who as we all know liked to run with the ball and play a short passing game, had been completely by passed the whole afternoon by long hoofs upfield. I remember standing in the North Bank and a mob of gobshites by the North Bank bar, near the Chicken Run, started getting leery towards Devo in the second half as everyone's frustration boiled over at such an inept display and mind-numbingly boring game. I was gobsmacked and I recall Devonshire looking utterly astounded too. Shame! Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:36:10 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/17/an-interview-for-the-football-trader/#IDComment295140378 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/17/an-interview-for-the-football-trader/#IDComment295018504 Great to read something from someone who can remember the sixties and some of the players before that era. The reason that Greenwood never signed Banksy was that he had that option at the end of the 1966/67, but he had already agreed, in principle, to sign Bobby Ferguson from Kilmarnock. Shame in many ways, but there is also something admirable in that too. It also tells us much about how the game has changed. Perhaps for West Ham to have gone on to be a force in English football then it needed a more ruthless approach in the mould of say Brian Clough, but undoubtedly a more ruthless approach would have meant that West Ham would have not become known as the Academy of Football. Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:21:17 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/17/an-interview-for-the-football-trader/#IDComment295018504 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/17/an-interview-for-the-football-trader/#IDComment295001912 Interesting. Yes, shame about John Lyall. I am not sure that he was treated right at the end by the club either. Even if the side that was relegated in the 1988-89 season lacked flair and imagination Lou Macari certainly wasn't the answer. Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:55:28 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/17/an-interview-for-the-football-trader/#IDComment295001912 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/17/an-interview-for-the-football-trader/#IDComment294996440 Frankie was good on the ball, with a classy left foot, and a one club man too. Personally, I would take him over Dicksy, but I appreciate that I am in the minority there. Glad to hear that he was in your Subbuteo team! I am sure he did his job on the left flank. My Subbuteo matches would invariably end in pitch invasions when my cat could not resist chasing after the ball and attacking the players by trying to bite their heads off! Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:48:22 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/17/an-interview-for-the-football-trader/#IDComment294996440 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/17/an-interview-for-the-football-trader/#IDComment294993342 I loved the "Johnny Lyall's Claret and Blue Army" when it could go on for ages. Perhaps the first punk chant to be heard on the terraces. One of the most cutting was at Old Trafford when Man U fans started chanting "No More West Ham anymore" to the Stranglers tune of "No More Heroes" when they knocked the Irons out of the FA Cup 2-0 in the 1982-83 season. Being a big fan of The Stranglers I had to begrudgingly hand it to them. Never heard it since or before. Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:43:44 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/17/an-interview-for-the-football-trader/#IDComment294993342 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/17/an-interview-for-the-football-trader/#IDComment294959817 I remember that goal at White Hart Lane. A mate of mine was thrown out by the Old Bill for celebrating, in the copper's view, too earnestly! Or it could have been that he had a mohican. Shame Spurs came back to win it 2-1. Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:53:33 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/17/an-interview-for-the-football-trader/#IDComment294959817 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/17/an-interview-for-the-football-trader/#IDComment294940880 Some interesting reflections, DD. I remember watching the Wolves match on the Big Match. Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:26:02 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/17/an-interview-for-the-football-trader/#IDComment294940880