THUGS TRASH PARTY
West Ham farewell turns into anarchy...
WEST HAM hooligans ambushed the Manchester United team bus last night as the build-up to the last ever game at Upton Park descended into mayhem. Kick-off had to be delayed 45 minutes after Hammers fans attacked the bus as it arrived at the stadium. Bottles and other missiles were thrown as it travelled along Barking Road, leaving at least nine windows smashed. One thug is said to have tried to headbutt the vehicle. The damaged bus, which was later replaced for the return journey after a dramatic game, finally stopped around 100 yards from the Upton Park entrance after being hemmed in by supporters. United skipper Wayne Rooney said: ‘It wasn’t nice, obviously the coach was smashed up. I’m sure you’ll see the images so it’s not for me to say, but obviously it was disappointing. It’s a big night with
West Ham leaving the stadium but I’m sure they’ll be disappointed with what the fans have done.’ West Ham chairman David Sullivan, however, showed little sympathy to United. He told the BBC the visitors should have arrived earlier and at one stage even denied that any damage had been caused. He said: ‘It is depressing really, it will be a late night for our fans and some of them won’t be able to stay (for post-match celebrations). ‘I don’t understand why United couldn’t get here at 4pm. They knew it would be busy. It’s crazy. There was congestion in the street and they couldn’t get the coach in. ‘There were people around the coach but there was no attack on the coach. If you check the coach there won’t be any damage to it. If we arrived late at Old Trafford they wouldn’t put the kick-off back.’ But with video quickly emerging on social media of the bus attack before kick-off, Sky Sports pundits Graeme Souness and Jamie Redknapp slammed those involved. ‘The village idiots who have done this must understand that the pictures are being beamed around the world,’ said Souness. ‘What does that say about our game? The Premier League — the most watched league in the world — and they are going to show those pictures and that’s what they’ll be talking about tomorrow.’ Redknapp said: ‘I thought we’d got away from those days. It’s not ideal but once players are on the pitch warming up, it’s completely gone. ‘At the time it’s a bit of a worry because you don’t know if a brick is going to come through the window at some stage — but the players will be absolutely fine now.’ United manager Louis van Gaal showed little sympathy towards the home fans as his side’s preparations were disrupted. United had also arrived late for a recent game at Tottenham but when questioned on Sky Sports he replied: ‘What do I have to tell? The images tell everything. ‘There is a lot of emotion for people but it is the second time in London we have had to start later. It is better than last time because we have received our preparation time. It is not so nice. The way we have been received is not the proper way, of course, and that is a pity.’ Police confirmed two people were injured — one of them a police officer — but no arrests were made. In contrast to the ugliness before the game, which was a throwback to an era when hooliganism scarred football, the match was a thriller. Diafra Sakho fired the Hammers ahead in the 10th minute but Anthony Martial seemed set to spoil the home side’s plans with two goals for United in the 51st and 72nd minutes. But Michail Antonio made it 2-2 in the 76th minute and five minutes later, Winston Reid rose to head the West Ham winner. There was a further black mark during the game when a water bottle was thrown at Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea. The Football Association issued a statement after the match, saying: ‘The FA strongly condemns the unsavoury incidents this evening involving both the Manchester United team coach outside West Ham United’s Boleyn Ground and objects thrown from a section of the home support during the game. We will work closely with both clubs and the Metropolitan Police to fully investigate these matters.’