Back on the 14th February I wrote an article which included a link for readers to come up with their end of season predictions using the worldfootball.net table predictor. There were 10 points available, one for predicting the Champions, one each for the top four and relegated teams, one for the top four in correct order and one for predicting West Ham’s finishing position. Nineteen regulars had a go and here are the results. Oslo Hammer tied with myself on top of the leader board with 8 points and coming in joint 3rd on 7 points were Toddy, Gizziron and Ironfish. On 6 points were BSB, Hammerdragon, The Original Russ, Teddybard, Florida Hammer, Safehands, Northern Iron Man, Toronto Hammer, Voice of Reason, and Daz the Hammer. Serangoon, Digger, Dan Coker and Jimmy Cooney Jnr received 5 points.
All a bit of fun and thanks to all who had a go. Over the coming weeks I will be revisiting and posting a few of my old nostalgia articles I wrote a few years ago. Some of the newer site members may not have seen them before and some of the older members amongst us will have probably forgotten them! They will not be carbon copies of the originals and it will help the interest in the site hopefully over these traditionally quiet upcoming weeks. It may also offer some relief from the boredom of the transfer rumour mill?
I have only just returned from the UK and managed to get to the Olympic Stadium for the games against Spurs and Liverpool. It was penthouse to crap house in the space of a week. What a game and atmosphere for a first visit to the new ground. The whole place was buzzing before, during and after the game and it confirms my previous view that it is the fans not the ground that generates the atmosphere. Just like Upton Park before it, our crowd can create a fabulous atmosphere at best but if the team does not perform it can be miserably quiet just like the Liverpool game witnessed a week later. I won’t go into detail now, perhaps for a later article, but I really like the new stadium. It is not perfect but neither was Upton Park.
Thanks to all those who showed for the WHTID meet ups at both games. Whilst the Liverpool game was the official meet there were enough appearances from old and new faces at the Spurs game as well to make it quite nostalgic. What was incorrectly considered a small clique on the site a few years ago has become quite a large West Ham family nowadays. Special thanks to BSB for the tickets and a big thank you to the Original Russ for driving the wife and I home after the Spurs game when walking had become a little troublesome for me for reasons I won’t go into here……and yes, for those that know I am still applying the cream. Later in the holiday I did get to repay BSB for the tickets when we went out for dinner and he had his hand in plaster after an operation. It was my job to cut up his meat and veg and hand feed him! Now there is an hour of my life I will never get back.