Hello everyone from NYC and hope you had an eventful summer during the break and what a wonderful way to wake up to a new season. One comfortable win, a couple of new faces that look the job and a fantastic new kit that is the pups nuts. You could only have dreamed of this years ago.
First off let’s talk about Stewart Downing. What a find that was from the “Island of Broken Toys” A.K.A Liverpool (a midfielder who doesn’t play midfield, a forward who doesn’t score…. and so on). Use to not rate him for the past couple of seasons but did he wipe the chuckles off his previous team’s supporters this Saturday. I would say he looked smug. A couple more performances out there like that I’m sure he will be back on the England team in no time.
Now since I’m on the subject of retrievals from that dreaded Isle of broken toys, Joey Cole is coming on to a form I have not seen ever before at West Ham or even at Chelsea. He had a fantastic performance. Easily should be the man of the match. The goal was spot on and renewed my faith in Joey that renewed destiny for legend status.
On the topic of legend, Nolan is looking like age is not slowing him down a bit. I usually am skeptical with players who are a hero at other clubs that come over. Nolan has proven me wrong that he is a complete professional and a gent that he does not let sympathies of his past get in his way. I am looking forward to the Newcastle game where I’m positive he will gut the faithfully at St. George’s this weekend.
Now looking at the midfield I have to ask how many stars can we have between Jarvis, Cole, Diame, Downing, Nolan and upcoming with Ravel Morrison. Big Sam is saying he is going to let them fight it out for who gets the position then just hand it away. OK that is different but we can see if that works. Might be up for discussion next week.
Now I like to say that the turnout was a great one at Smithfield Saturday would be a understatement of how fantastic it was. the word brilliant is a better word for how it was. For a bar/pub in the heart of NYC you would almost rate it with “The Queens” or “The Boleyn” with the support that showed up. Proud to boast that we had some supporters travel from Eastern Pennsylvania to watch the game with us. These fellas travelled a good two or three hours to watch a two hour game at a bar. Makes me you proud for this dedication. I know that they will be there again. COYI
Last of all I like to put out a moment of reflection for a friend that has past on over the summer. He will be missed, David Bairdow. To be short he was not the biggest Hammer supporter but he was the stone that every supporters stood on. He succumbed to a chest ailment that took the better of him. Whether he was a the person who started the first supporters clubs for an English team in the United States, 70’s Punk Rock hero who roadies for the Sex Pistols and lifelong friends with Peter and the Test Tube Babies or the Man Utd/England supporter who cheered the loudest. We will always remember him as the tough, no nonsense doorman at Nevada Smiths and Smithfield NYC that kept us in line. He will be sadly missed here in NYC and everywhere to those that he has touched in his life. I hope his family and friends will realize exactly how different the world would be without him. Cheers fella, privilege to know you.