West Ham United.. everyone’s favourite ‘second‘ team? Not after this grotesque, unsympathetic farce of a club selling its soul

THEY know a thing or two about exaggerating attendances in London’s East End.

If all who claimed to have been there when Ronnie Kray did for George Cornell are to be believed, the Blind Beggar pub on Whitechapel Road must be the biggest boozer in the world.

Probably about the size of the London Stadium, where, it appears, crowds are also not what they seem.

According to West Ham United, the average Premier League attendance last season was 55,309.

According to Newham Council – based on a sample of 12 games – it was 42,279.

The degree of accuracy in the figures is open to debate, but any regular at the stadium will tell you the lower figure is closer

TALKING about Nigeria and Ademola Lookman, Gareth Southgate said: “I know they have always had an interest in him.” Lookman has represented England on 28 occasions.

Nigeria’s interest is fair but what a shame the international scene seems to have become an extension of the transfer market. to the mark. The veracity or otherwise of the crowd numbers, detailed in a BBC report, is of no seismic significance, but this is just another strand to a sad story.

It is a stretch to say West Ham were once a lot of people’s favourite “second” club, but there was a degree of warmth towards the institution. No longer.

The drip-drip effect of stories regarding the grotesquely expensive farce that is West Ham’s tenancy in a publiclyowned stadium means their footballing plight generates zero sympathy.

It might well be the landlords’ fault that West Ham pay a pitifully low rent and the landlords might well be in the wrong in disputes over such things as the honours board and the covering of the athletics track. Yet, from the outside, most only see owners who have landed a right touch by – to use a grand cliche – selling the club’s soul.

The spiritual home, incidentally, is now only home to 842 one-bedroom and two-bedroom flats, with prices ranging from £359,500 to £480,500.

Now let’s not get too nostalgic about Upton Park.

For an away fan, it could be intimidating and unpleasant, but it was not alone in that.

The only thing intimidating or unpleasant about West Ham’s current stadium is the anaesthesia of the nearby shopping centre.

So many of the stadium issues would be glossed over by a successful, attractive winning team, but, of the 40 Premier League games played there, the Hammers have won only 14 and barely average a goal a game.

In the early stages of a third season at the new home, they are on their third manager – with a fourth probably not far away – and have signed 26 new players during that period.

With the sort of hindsight four Premier League matches and four defeats provide, it is easy to say the appointment of Manuel Pellegrini was uninspiring.

But it was uninspiring.

They might have been recruiting a Premier League winner, but they were also

Distracted owners have taken their eye off the ball

IF ONLY for going to Rio in 2016, immersing himself in the spirit and winning the actual thing, Justin Rose – two years later – deserves all the praise that is coming his way.

Major winner, Olympic gold medallist and world No.1. Only Rose and Inbee Park can say that. recruiting a manager who, in his last gig, won only 22 of his 60 games in charge of Hebei China Fortune.

It is becoming impossible not to think the incessant noise about the stadium has distracted owners who have taken their eye off the ball.

Next up for West Ham is a trip to Everton.

If the old Upton Park had a spiritual sister, it would probably be Goodison Park.

As Farhad Moshiri increased his majority stake in the club, Everton chairman Bill Kenwright was insisting the plans to build and move to a new stadium were on track.

There are positive examples of grand, old clubs uprooting themselves for Everton to follow.

West Ham United is not one of them.

THE fantastic scenes at theOval were truly heartwarming.But when the tears dry, it is hard to ignore the anomaly of 36-year-old pace bowler, James Anderson (top, right), ploughing majestically on after 15 years ofTest cricket while 33-year-old opening batsman Alastair Cook (top, left) jacks it in 12 years after making his England debut.You can understand Cook’s reasons for retirement from international cricket, but it is almost ludicrously early.Look at the four names ahead of him on the all-time Test scoring list.Sachin Tendulkar played Test cricket for 24 years, retiring at the age of 40.Ricky Ponting played Test cricket for 17 years, retiring a couple of weeks shy of his 38 birthday.Jacques Kallis, the South African all-rounder, played Test cricket for 18 years, retiring at the age of 37.Rahul Dravid played Test cricket for 16 years, retiring at the age of 39.There remains a nagging feeling that Cook’s decision was primarily a reaction to the frustration over his poor form ahead of that memorable final Test of the summer.It was as though he forgot class was permanent.The emotion and finality of those scenes at theOval meant it really was a fairy tale way for a wonderful player to sign off.But for England’s hopes in next year’s Ashes, let’s hope he has only signed off for the winter. Pellegrini’s West Ham are stuggling on and off the pitch

ALMOST a week on from the Flushing Meadows meltdown, one thing we all should be able to agree on is that Serena Williams’ US Open final defeat to Naomi Osaka was a hell of a lot more interesting than the straightforward Novak Djokovic triumph over Juan Martin del Potro in the men’s final – and the TV viewing figures confirmed it.Sexism in tennis IS an issue but anyone who actually believes there should still NOT be equal pay has long since lost that argument.