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Away Fans in New Stand - West Ham Fans Perspective

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After reading some of the comments on this site and the press coverage in the local paper, I find it somewhat laughable that Norwich City fans have got a bee in their bonnet about sitting next to an ''Away Supporter.''
As a life long West Ham Utd fan who lives in Norwich i was at the game on saturday and yes, heaven forbid, shock, horror i was in the new stand.
Yes, i did celebrate when Mr Harewood scored the opening goal, not really a crime, and i also accepted the very good humoured and expected taunts when you lot equalised. Even the police officer sitting in front of me thought this was amusing. I didn''t goad anybody, abuse anybody or cause any trouble and neither did they, we were just football fans watching a game of football. And at the end, there were lots of laughter, handshaking and well wishing.
I appreciated there are isolated incidents of trouble, at football, but from what i believe there was one arrest all day. Although Mr Long, I suggest you keep your opininon on peoples looks to yourself, regardless of their team, as the next ''ugly b*t*h'' might not accept your revenge tactics quite so readily !!!
So what''s all the fuss about. Yes, there could have been this happen and there could have been that happen but the truth was, it didn''t !
As for ticket arrangements by your club, that''s not really anything to do with me, but surely all Norwich City supporters have the same opportunity to buy a season ticket, a membership or even a match ticket. I know my source just rang up the club and bought one, couldn''t make the game and sold it to me for face value. No offence, no ticket touting, just a kind gesture. But you lot would have her hung, drawn and quartered for daring to do such a thing.
Now the club are top of the league, more and more fans are wanting to go, if you were such loyal fans why didn''t these supporters who were denied tickets for saturdays game buy a membership or season ticket at the beginning of the season regardless of how successful your team was then. Then surely they would have had every opportunity to be there on saturday too.
I appreciate with maybe with the exception of Ipswich Town, last saturday was probably your biggest game of the season and what with the new stand opening even more so, but i cant help but think if you were languishing 15th in this division, no one would have really given a toss if they had to sit next to a West Ham supporter, or not.
There have been comments made of Arsenal, Man Utd & Chelsea fans glory hunting or coming out of the woodwork, could Norwich City be included in that too.
As previously suggested, some members and season ticket holders cannot always attend games on the day for whatever reason, and what would you do, throw the ticket in the bin ??? I think not. I don''t really think this was a case of people buying memberships just to get tickets for away fans, or even away fans buying memberships, I just think it was a game people wanted to see, whichever allegiance you are.
People have been correct in assuming there is a relatively large West Ham fan base in Norfolk and although we have been a largely unsuccessful team in recent years, our average attendance this season is 31,000 + , 5000 more than the next best club. When we are given a paltry 2000 tickets for a game there are going to be people trying for tickets by whatever means. We would all do the same, be realistic and correct me if I am wrong but were ticketless Norwich City fans in the ''Home Section'' on a recent visit to Milton Keynes. Did you hear any complaint from Wimbledon ? Agreed, they were probably grateful for the extra numbers but no complaint, and I am sure those Norwich fans celebrated ''that'' goal.
Those who were lucky enough to attend saturdays match, watched two good sides play a good game of football, saw two good goals and both sets of fans went home reasonably happy, no trouble and no-one hurt is that such bad thing ?

Y

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Alot of Norwich fans wanted to go to the game last saturday but could not get tickets, me being one of them. So maybe if there had been no West ham fans in the new stand(sitting with the Norwich fans) i would have got a ticket. Of cause we are going to have a moan about it, otherwise we wouldnt be true supporters. I mean we are hardly gonna say "oh well these west ham supporters can have OUR seats i dont mind not being able to go and support my team". So if your a true west ham supporter (life long) then get your tickets from west ham. Or are you just a glory hunter yourself looking to support a better side.
OTBC.

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i would like to know if theses west ham fans who bought tickets in the norwich section told norwich city they were west ham fans ? i dont think they would of got them.i would like to know if you where at upton park and a arsenal fan was sitting near you in the west ham section would you be happy about that.?fans are kept apart so no trouble will happen ,just like down squares saturday night west ham fans causing trouble thats why there is sections for away fans .

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I dont really what to get drawn into tit for tat arguements with Norwich fans, I was just trying to express an opinion from the opposition. Although you may not agree, there are two sides to every story.
As true supporters,why not enjoy your status at the top of Division One and not worry about what the opposition fans are doing.
From my understanding the tickets in the new stand were sold to Norwich City members, and not directly to West Ham fans, if you are a member yourself, then surely YOU had the same chance as them to buy a ticket. Ring earlier next time. What do you suggest to a ticket-holding Norwich City Member who cant make the game, does with his/her ticket ?
My support is not really something you should be questioning, like I said we were given a paltry 2000 tickets, and as a West Ham Utd Member of course I was disappointed I couldn''t get a ticket for the game due to Bond Holders buying them all, but quite willing NOT to go to the game.
I was then offered a ticket for the match, what do you suggest I should''ve done, said NO thanks and told her to scour the streets for a Norwich fan to sell it to. Surely this is ticket touting, is it not? Get real, please.
And how do you work out anyone could be glory hunting by supporting West Ham, we haven''t won anything for 24 years, have just be relegated and are not even in a play-off place, where is the glory in that?

Yours Truly

West Ham Utd Fan

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I think you have a fair point hammer, I''ve taken mates to Carrow road who support opposittion teams and everythings been fine but unfortunately it can cause problems from time to time. As long as everything stays good natured then theres not a problem, on the whole most of the fans here at Norwich are decent people, though I wouldn''t recommend sitting in the lower barclay or snake pit!! But, unfortunately not every football fan is an angel and there can be friction caused by away fans being in amongst home fans. In a perfect world I''d love to see us all sat together having a laugh and enjoying the game but I''m afraid we''re not quite there yet!!

In summary, I can understand fan''s frustrations at not being able to get tickets, We''re in the strange situation where we''re outgrowing our capacity quicker than we can build new seats, quite remarkable, victims of our own sucess!! If the tables were turned hammer I''d have done the same thing to see the team I love!

On a final note, I think your team is the best I''ve seen at Carrow road this season so far, not as good as the mighty Canaries but not too bad, good luck for the rest of the season!

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Yeah I fully agree with what Hammer is saying . The club or nobody else can stop any member or season ticket holder giving his ticket to anybody if he cannot attend the game. Yes the club can make a note of the seats that hold away supporters but if it was your best mate you had given the ticket to and was then told by the club that you cannot now be a member then you would be slightly peed off. I have been a victim of not being able to get a ticket (although made West Ham Game) and have been a member since the scheme started but even I realise that the problem is not of the clubs making and although I was sitting near West Ham supporters in the River End they were not bother at all.

Also a good valid point about West Ham glory hunters. How many do we now have. I know a bloke who was moaning that he could not get a ticket for the West Ham game and when I told him him you had to be a member he stated that it was bloody ridiculous. The last time he had been - 10 years ago!!!!!

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Can i remind people that for nearly 3 full seasons City have sold out the home sections for virtually every game. The `glory` in that time has been a losing trip to Cardiff and.....errrr....a defeat by Chelsea in the cup! I mean,last season there were games sold out months in advance (Ipswich,Forest), and lets face it,it was a dull+disapointing season.

I think it is fair to assume that if we had had the current capacity last season we would have sold it out easily many times, so to accuse City of being plagued with `glory hunters` is out of order. Even with the increased capacity there seems to have been many genuine fans who missed out for the W.Ham, W.Brom and Ipswich games (all sold out weeks in advance). I think we would need a capacity of 28,000+ to start getting worked up about a massive influx of `glory hunters` at C.R.!

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I can see both perspectives here and I do feel for both sides.

Hammer, ok so you have lived in Norwich for most of your life or a long time, but do you not feel for the people who cant get tickets because our stadium is under construction and therefore has limited ticket allocation.

I am yet to see a game actually in the flesh this season, my uni work has been hefty and I am down in Surrey. Finding the dosh to get to a game is hard too when on a very tight budget. The few times I have gone home to visit my folks the games have been sell-outs before I could get tickets.

Overly I am not upset because it means the club is getting as much money through the gates as it can do. I can listen to the radio even if chearing by yourself isnt quite the same as the atmosphere at Carrow Road is now. In some ways I am not bothered that away fans have gotten tickets which are actually allocated to Norwich supporters but in reality it should not be happening.

However I think there are few footie fans out there that would not do the same in a similar situation. For example when NCFC are playing Chelsea next season I will try to get away supporters tickets but I also have the back-up plan of getting a home supporters ticket through my girlfriend who is a Chelsea member.

I would do almost anything to get to see my team play!

I am pleased to say that I will be going to my first match of the season in April when I will be going to the Reading match to watch them be pummelled into the ground whilst choking on Darren Huckerbys dust! In the meantime I will just have to be satisfied of the highlights which seem to nearly allways involve McVeigh or Huckerby!

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Yet another one.

Totally ignoring what is posted Hammer then argues against his own chosen arguments.

To clarify -

City fans objection is that there is a clearly defined arrangement regarding ticket allocation. The club is failing to honour that arrangement.

Yes the problem is one of sellouts. It is not so much the away fans presence but the denial of a home supporter a seat that is designated as a home seat. Had we been languishing in mid table then there would be no problem. We are not hence the problem. Your point is much on the lines of saying saying if there wasn''t any rain there wouldn''t be a complaint about lack of umbrellas.

The whole point of the complaint is that thousands have joined and still can''t get tickets. There''s a queue for season tickets as well so silly remarks about the failure lying with the fans are just that. Silly remarks. More so Hammer when you state you are a member at West Ham yet can''t get a ticket because the allocation goes elsewhere !

The allocation to away fans is within the guidelines. Most fans know that it is often difficult, nigh impossible, to get into some away games. That''s acceptable because the home club is looking after it''s own fans.

All we are asking is that our club does the same.

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this is got nothing to do with canaries against w ham fans - we are both right. is all to do with the club selling tickets to non supporters and then saying they can''t do anything about it. it''s nonsense. they should be finding the culprits who sold on tickets and ban them from future sales. they know their names and addresses as they must have been members.

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OH PLEASE STOP THE WHINGING
Can any City fan out there, hand on heart, say that if push came to shove they would not buy a ticket in the home supporters area at an away ground if it was the only way to see the game. How many canary fans were mixed in with the home fans at Portaloo Rd. I know that I was waving to some after the game had finished. As long as there is no trouble I cant really see the problem. So for heavens sake lets stop being so pious about this and start talking about something more important. OTBC.

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My main concern about away fans mixing with home fans is the potential for sparking trouble. One of the posters above talked about West Ham fans goading City fans when the Hammers scored. Of course there would be no excuse for City fans reacting violently to such provocation, but unfortunately I can''t vouch for the character or self restraint of all home fans. More sinisterly, this weakness could lead to tickets falling into the hands of away fans intent on provoking trouble. Either way, it would be the club that would suffer from any crowd trouble - and none of us want that.

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fred1 - u r missing the point. I think we would all buy a ticket if we could to see out team play if the game was sold out and we completely understand the hammers p.o.v.

the objection is that city members bought tickets and sold them on or gave them away to rival fans depriving other city fans. i think the club are not taking responsibility when they say there is nothing that they can do which is clearly nonsense. of course they can. they can ban members who bought the tickets. the club should take responsibility for this.

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fishbulbman you say you would buy a ticket in the home fans area but would you buy that ticket from an opposing team supporter,who of course is a friend/acquaintance/work colleague etc who cannot for whatever reason make it to the game. Or would you rush to the teams box office and demand that your friend/acquaintance/work colleague etc be banned. I wonder. I do get the point but it has to apply both ways.

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i see now where you''re coming from Fred. good point. I think the answer no i wouldnt even though i''d be glad of the ticket. but by the same token i probably wouldnt wear colours or find myself sitting in a group supporting the same team - i would have a certain amount of respect for the opposition supporters. i think i am more angry with the club for saying that there is nothing they can do about it when clearly there is.

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I have been reading with interest all posts..........I was sitting in the new stand area J, and had quite a few away supporters around me, to start with I felt uncomfortable and immediately thought there would be trouble, but all through the game we spoke and at the end of the game the guy behind me shook my hand...........I was relieved, no trouble.....
but we could have had a different story, it only takes one stupid aggresive fan and I have seen a few who would cause trouble...........most of us are intelligent people who love and are very passionate about our team.........I for one travel from Bedford and go to most home
and away games..........this journey is one of excitement and what I dont want to see is trouble when I have driven 2+ hours...........I want to enjoy the game..........if the man who can does nothing to stop this, and I can see this will be difficult, sooner or later we will have trouble..........lets hope u or I are not around when it happens..........

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Hammer,
Just wondered why you sent your post to the EEN for publication in the letters page tonight(2/3) after already having it aired on here a week ago and getting plenty of response. I''m assuming it was because you felt strongly about the content of what you had written and although I don''t agree with all of its content, think it was a well written post/letter in which you made your point quite eloquently.You should have been proud to put your name to your letter rather than write it anonymously.
Good Luck to the Hammers for the rest of the season!

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The letter was actually emailed to the EEN first, name and address WAS given, and as they appeared unsure that they would print it, I then posted it here.
I see that my post got a mixed response from all of you, and thank-you to those big enuff to agree with some of my views even though it meant siding with the opposition. Those of you who preferred to argue, fair enuff, I respect your views but I dont have to agree with them, although West Ham fans glory hunting? lol
Some people still didn''t really understand what I was saying, but there we go. Of course I have sympathy for fans who cant get to watch their club, whether it be Norwich, West Ham or whoever, but as a casual fan, no-one is guaranteed a ticket and if that really bothers you then BUY A SEASON TICKET. Casual fans, anywhere, have never have been assured of admission and never will be.
People were acting like a great crime had been committed. Ooh there were 50 West Ham fans in the New Stand, so what. Get used to it....Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea etc are waiting........
We''ve all taken friends & family to games even when they follow a different team, I have a good friend whose a Norwich fan whose been to West Ham games with me, even a pre-season game in Sweden !!!
Rather then keep whinging just enjoy the moment, it might not last. You are top of the league for goodness sake. I know I like to be in your position.
Too many of you are living in a fantasy world, if you think that if a ticket-holder who can''t attend a game would return tickets, throw them away or whatever else you haven''t suggested they do with them. It just wont happen, in a perfect world, yes, but you''ve got to be realistic.
In response to some people, I did read each post with great interest and took heed of what each one said, but please dont flatter yourselves and think my post was directed at you, it was just a different perspective.
And, by the way my source was fully aware I support West Ham, but isn''t shallow enuff to worry about it :-)
Good luck to Norwich, hopefully we can play against each other next season, and I''ll if I can''t get a WH ticket I''ll stay at home to let a Norwich fan have my seat!! LOL! or better still report any member who tries to sell me one!
This is my last post on here as like I said, I dont want to get into tit for tat arguements with Norwich fans, who seem intent on doing just that.

Yours Truly

West Ham United fan

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