It reached boiling point and then exploded, says loyal captain Noble

BORN in Custom House, Canning Town, Mark Noble has been at West Ham since he was 10. As West Ham’s captain and a lifelong supporter, he feels the pain of the fans more than any other player at the club. When he was confronted by a pitch invader, the 30-year-old midfielder took matters into his own hands as he grappled with the fan and wrestled him to the floor. After the 3-0 defeat, Noble did not duck his responsibilities and spoke to reporters. Here is the transcript.

EVERYONE WHO CARES FOR WEST HAM WILL FEEL FOR YOU TODAY…

It is hard for me personally because I’m a West Ham fan myself and the results affect me more than anyone else.

But in this league for the past two seasons, it has been bubbling over with the fans not being happy and today was boiling point and it just exploded.

WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THE FAN RAN ON?

I am a footballer. I play for West Ham. I always have done. But I am a person and if someone approaches me — obviously my emotions were high anyway as we had just conceded a goal — but yeah, I will protect myself.

WHAT DID THE PITCH INVADER SAY?

No, no, nothing. I was not even listening. Do you know what? I am not going to even blame the fella who did it. His emotions were high — same as mine on the pitch. He ran on the pitch and I wouldn’t say I felt threatened but if someone approaches me I am going to look after myself.

WERE YOU AWARE OF WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE STANDS?

Yes, of course, (there are almost) 60,000 people. It was not all the West Ham fans. But it has been bubbling over for a long time, this, and the only way that it has ever really gone quiet is if we won games. And West Ham are a side who are not going to win every game. We are going to lose games. But when we lose games it is pretty much the end of the world.

WERE YOUR FAMILY HERE?

I just spoke to my dad and you can imagine that he is not too happy. If anything I am not really angry — I am just a little bit upset that club is in the way that it is.

My wife and kids were not here today, which is a plus. West Ham’s results affect my everyday life massively. I have said this before.

If we win you don’t mind going out to a restaurant with the wife and having a glass of wine.

But when you lose, you don’t want to talk to anyone… especially the last couple of seasons, it has been a lot tougher.

HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN FANS SING THEY WANT TO GO HOME TO UPTON PARK?

This is our stadium now. There is nothing we can do about it. It seems to me that there is so much anger out there that it is not going to go away.

WILL IT BE THE SAME IF THE TEAM GO A GOAL DOWN IN THE NEXT HOME GAME?

If we go a goal down at home, it has been tough. It has been really tough. Before coming here the supporters are not happy in the first place. I think it is not an excuse (if we go a goal down) but it is a chance to show their emotions towards not so much the players, but the board.

DID YOU SPEAK TO REF LEE MASON ABOUT THE INCIDENT?

Lee Mason was really good. He said to me that, ‘I will have to do something’, but he used his common sense. I don’t think he booked me, did he? He said to me: ‘Look Mark, you were sort of protecting yourself really.’ He used some common sense and just let it go.

WOULD IT HAVE BEEN A RED IF YOU HAD DONE THAT TO AN OPPONENT?

I probably would not do it on another player as it would put my team in trouble!

DID YOU THINK THE GAME WOULD BE STOPPED?

No… (but) at one point I thought there would be a pitch invasion. It looked that way. But thankfully it

wasn’t.

HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR THE NEXT HOME GAME?

I don’t know. That is the brutal truth. If we go 1-0 down at home again, what will happen? I can’t imagine.

I hope that when you have an eruption and you get your emotions out… I am hoping that was today.

They have shown their emotions and shown everyone how they feel and hopefully now they rally together and get behind us.

The main aim is to stay in this league. Full stop. Get some points and make some decisions in the summer.

But as I said, I am not angry, just upset with how things went today.

TREVOR BROOKING WAS LEFT IN THE DIRECTORS’ BOX ALONE...

He probably felt the same way as me walking off the pitch.

Listen, it is not that I support the club, it is actually that I love the club.

It has been my home since aged 10 and I was brought up here. That is why probably I acted the way I did today as I know there are a lot of people at the club who really care how we get on, the results.

If I never play for the club again I am still going to feel the way that I feel about it, just because I am born and bred here.